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COLUMBUS 
(7)4* Jefferson copy of the Florence picture,) 



THE 



STORY OF COLUMBUS 

AS HE TOLD IT HIMSELF. 



TRANSLATED AND EDITED BY 

EDWARD E: HALE 

WITH THE STORY OF HIS LIFE FROM OTHER SOURCES 
WHERE WE HAVE NOT HIS NARRATIVE. 



BOSTON: i'oY^ 

J. STILMAN SMITH & CO., '' 

3 Hamilton Place. 
1893. 

A- 



Copyright, 1S93, 

BY 

J. STILMAN SMITH & CO. 



PREFACE. 



This book contains a life of Columbus, written 
with the hope of interesting all classes of readers. 

His life has often been written, and it has some- 
times been well written. The great book of our 
countryman, Washington Irving, is a noble model 
of diligent work given to a very difficult subject. 
And I think every person who has dealt with the 
life of Columbus since Irving's time, has expressed 
his gratitude and respect for the author. 

According to the custom of biographers, in that 
time and since, he includes in those volumes the 
whole history of the West India islands, for the 
period after Columbus discovered them till his 
death. He also thinks it his duty to include much 
of the history of Spain and of the Spanish court. 
I do not myself believe that it is wise to attempt, 
in a book of biography, so considerable a study of 
the history of the time. Whether it be wise or not, 
I have not attempted it in this book. I have rather 
attempted to follow closely the personal fortunes of 



6 PREFACE. 

Christopher Columbus, and, to the history around 
him, I have given only such space as seemed abso- 
lutely necessary for the illustration of those fortunes. 

I have followed on the lines of his own personal 
narrative wherever we have it. And where this is 
lost I have used the absolutely contemporary 
authorities. I have also consulted the later writ- 
ers, those of the next generation and the genera- 
tion which followed it. But the more one studies 
the life of Columbus the more one feels sure that, 
after the greatness of his discovery was really 
known, the accounts of the time were overlaid by 
what modern criticism calls myths, which had 
grown up in the enthusiasm of those who honored 
him, and which form no part of real history. If 
then the reader fails to find some stories with 
which he is quite familiar in the history, he must 
not suppose that they are omitted by accident, but 
must give to the author of the book the credit of 
having used some discretion in the choice of his 
authorities. 

When I visited Spain in 1882, I was favored by 
the officers of the Spanish government with every 
facility for carrying my inquiry as far as a short 



t'REFACE. 7 

visit would permit. Since that time Mr. Harrisse 
has published his invaluable volumes on the life of 
Columbus. It certainly seems as if every docu- 
ment now existing, which bears upon the history, 
had been collated by him. The reader will see 
that I have made full use of this treasure-house. 

The Congress of Americanistas, which meets 
every year, brings forward many curious studies 
on the history of the continent, but it can scarcely 
be said to have done much to advance our knowl- 
edge of the personal life of Columbus. 

The determination of the people of the United 
States to celebrate fitly the great discovery which 
has advanced civilization and changed the face of 
the world, makes it certain that a new interest has 
arisen in the life of the great man to whom, in the 
providence of God, that discovery was due. The 
author and publishers of this book offer it as their 
contribution in the great celebration, with the hope 
that it may be of use, especially in the direction of 
the studies of the young. 

EDWARD E. HALE. 

RoxBURY, Mass., 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 



EARLY LIFE OF COLUMBUS. PAGE. 

His Birth and Birth-place — His Early Education — His 
experience at Sea — His Marriage and Residence in Lis- 
bon — His Plans for the Discovery of a Westward 
Passage to the Indies , 13-30 

CHAPTER H. 

HIS PLANS FOR DISCOVERY. 

Columbus Leaves Lisbon, and Visits Genoa — Visits Great 
Spanish Dukes — For Six Years is at the Court of Ferdi- 
nand and Isabella — The Council of Salamanca — His 
Petition is at Last Granted — Squadron Made Ready . . 31-48 

CHAPTER III. 

THE GREAT VOYAGE. 

The Squadron Sails — Refits at Canary Islands — Hopes 
and Fears of the Voyage — The Doubts of the Crew — 
Land Discovered 49-63 

CHAPTER IV. 

The Landing on the Twelfth of October — The Natives and 
their Neighbors — Search for Gold — Cuba Discovered 
— Columbus Coasts Along its Shores 64-87 

CHAPTER V. 

Landing on Cuba — The Cigar and Tobacco — Cipango and 
the Great Khan — From Cuba to Hayti — Its Shores and 

Harbors 88-100 

8 



CONTENTS. 9 

CHAPTER VI. PAGE. 

Discovery of Hayti or Hispaniola — The Search for Gold — 
Hospitality and Intelligence of the Natives — Christmas 
• Day — A Shipwreck — Colony to be Founded — Colum- 
bus Sails East and Meets Martin Pinzon — The Two 
Vessels Return to Europe — Storm — The Azores — 
Portugal — Home 101-125 

CHAPTER VH. 

Columbus is Called to Meet the King and Queen — His Mag- 
nificent Reception — Negotiations with the Pope and 
with the King of Portugal — Second Expedition Ordered 
— Fonseca — The Preparations at Cadiz 126-139 

CHAPTER VHI. 
The Second Expedition Sails From Cadiz — Touches at 
Canary Islands — Discovery of Dominica and Guadeloupe 

— Skirmishes with the Caribs — Porto Rico Discovered 

— Hispaniola — The Fate of the Colony at La Navidad. 140-168 

CHAPTER IX. 
The New Colony — Expeditions of Discovery — Guacana- 
gari — Search for Gold — Mutiny in the Colony — The 
Vessels Sent Home — Columbus Marches Inland — Col- 
lection of Gold — Fortress of St. Thomas — A New Voy- 
age of Discovery — Jamaica Visited — The South Shore 
of Cuba Explored — Return — Evangelista Discovered 

— Columbus Falls Sick — Return to Isabella 169-197 

CHAPTER X. 

THE THIRD VOYAGE. 

Letter to the King and Queen — Discovery of Trinidad and 
Paria — Curious Speculation as to the Earthly Paradise 
— Arrival at San Domingo — Rebellions and Mutinies in 
that Island — Roldan and His Followers — Ojeda and 
His Expedition — Arrival of Bobadilla — Columbus a 
Prisoner , . 198-224 



16 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XI. 

SPAIN, 1500, 1502. PAGE. 

A Cordial Reception in Spain — Columbus Favorably Re- 
ceived at Court — New Interest in Geographical Dis- 
covery — His Plans for the Redemption of the Holy 
Sepulchre — Preparations for a Fourth Expedition 225-239 

CHAPTER XII. 

FOURTH VOYAGE. 

The Instructions Given for the Voyage — He is to go to 
the Mainland of the Indies — A Short Passage — Ovando 
Forbids the Entrance of Columbus into Harbor — Boba- 
dilla's Squadron and Its Fate — Columbus Sails West- 
ward — Discovers Honduras, and Coasts Along Its Shores 

— The Search for Gold — Colony Attempted and Aban- 
doned — The Vessels Become Unseaworthy — Refuge at 
Jamaica — Mutiny Led by the Brothers Porras — Mes- 
sages to San Domingo — The Eclipse — Arrival of Relief 

— Columbus Returns to San Domingo, and to Spain. . . . 240-272 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Two Sad Years — Isabella's Death — Columbus at Seville — 
His Illness — Letters to the King — Journeys to Segovia 

— Salamanca and Valladolid — His Suit There — Philip 
and Juana — Columbus Executes His Will — Dies — His 
Burial and the Removal of His Body — His Portraits — 

His Character 273-291 

Appendix A 293-303 

Appendix B 304-309 

Appendix C 309-312 



THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 



CHAPTER I. 

EARLY LIFE OF COLUMBUS. 

HIS BIRTH AND BIRTH-PLACE HIS EARLY EDUCATION HIS 

EXPERIENCE AT SEA HIS MARRIAGE AND RESIDENCE 

IN LISBON HIS PLANS FOR THE DISCOVERY OF A WEST- 
WARD PASSAGE TO THE INDIES. 

Christopher Columbus was born in the Republic 
of Genoa. The honor of his birth-place has been 
claimed by many villages in that Republic, and 
the house in which he was born cannot be now 
pointed out with certainty. But the best author- 
ities aeree that the children and the grown people 
of the world have never been mistaken when they 
have said: "America was discovered in 1492 
by Christopher Columbus, a native of Genoa." 

His name, and that of his family, is always 



14 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

written Colombo, in the Italian papers which refer 
to them, for more than one hundred years before 
his time. In Spain it was always written Colon ; 
in France it is written as Colomb ; while in Eng- 
land it has always kept its Latin form, Columbus. 
It has frequently been said that he himself assumed 
this form, because Columba is the Latin word for 
"Dove," with a fanciful feeling that, in carrying 
Christian light to the West, he had taken the 
mission of the dove. Thus, he had first found 
land where men thought there was ocean, and he 
was the messenger of the Holy Spirit to those 
who sat in darkness. It has also been assumed 
that he took the name of Christopher, "the 
Christ-bearer," for similar reasons. But there is 
no doubt that he was baptized "Christopher," and 
that the family name had long been Columbo. 
The coincidences of name are but two more in a 
calendar in which poetry delights, and of which 
history is full. 

Christopher Columbus was the oldest son of 
Dominico Colombo and Suzanna Fontanarossa. 
This name means Red-fountain. He had two 
brothers, Bartholomew and Diego, whom we shall 



HIS EARLY STUDIES. 15 

meet again. Diego is the Spanish way of writing 
the name which we call James. 

It seems probable that Christopher was born in 
the year 1436, though some writers have said that 
he was older than this, and some that he was 
younger. The record of his birth and that of his 
baptism have not been found. 

His father was not a rich man, but he was able 
to send Christopher, as a boy, to the University of 
Pavia, and here he studied grammar, geometry, 
geography and navigation, astronomy and the 
Latin language. But this was as a boy stud- 
ies, for in his fourteenth year he left the uni- 
versity and entered, in hard work, on "the 
larger college of the world." If the date given 
above, of his birth, is correct, this was in 
the year 1450, a few years before the Turks 
took Constantinople, and, in their invasion of 
Europe, affected the daily life of everyone, young 
or old, who lived in the Mediterranean countries. 
From this time, for fifteen years, it is hard to trace 
along the life of Columbus, It was the life of an 
intelligent young seaman, going wherever there 
was a voyage for him. He says himself, "I 



16 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

passed twenty- three years on the sea. I have s^'n 
all the Levant, all the western coasts, and ^}^ 
North, I have seen England ; I have often made 
the voyage from Lisbon to the Guinea coast." 
This he wrote in a letter to Ferdinand and Isa- 
bella. Again he says, "I went to sea from tm? 
most tender age and have continued in a sea lif* 
to this day. Whoever gives himself up to this ar 
wants to know the secrets of Nature here belo\^ 
It is more than forty years that I have been thus* 
engaged. Wherever any one has sailed, there I 
have sailed." 

Whoever goes into the detail of the history of 
that century will come upon the names of two 
relatives of his — Colon el Mozo (the Boy, or the 
Younger) and his uncle, Francesco Colon, both 
celebrated sailors. The latter of the two was 
a captain in the fleets of Louis XI of France, 
and imaginative students may represent him as 
meeting Quentin Durward at court. Christopher 
Columbus seems to have made several voyages 
under the command of the younger of these rela- 
tives. He commanded the Genoese galleys near 
Cyprus in a war which the Genoese had with the 



1 



HE VISITS ICELAND. 17 

'^ netians. Between the years 1461 and 1463 
• Genoese were acting as allies with King John 
of Calabria, and Columbus had a command as 
captain in their navy at that time. 
. "In 1477," he says, in one of his letters, "in 
•e month of February, I sailed more than a hun- 
•J^^ed leagues beyond Tile," By this he means 
j^Jiule, or Iceland. " Of this island the southern 
- T.rt is seventy-three degrees from the equator, 
not sixty-three degrees, as some geographers 
pretend." But here he was wrong. The south- 
ern part of Iceland is in the latitude of sixty-three 
and a half degrees. " The English, chiefly those 
of Bristol, carry their merchandise to this island, 
which is as laro^e as Engrland. When I was there 
the sea was not frozen, but the tides there are so 
strong that they rise and fall twenty-six cubits." 

The order of his life, after his visit to Iceland, 
is better known. He was no Ioniser an advent- 
urous sailor- boy, glad of any voyage which 
offered ; he was a man thirty years of age or more. 
He married in the city of Lisbon and settled 
himself there. His wife was named Philippa. 
She was the daughter of an Italian gendeman 



18 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 



named Bartolomeo Muniz de Perestrello, who 
was, like Columbus, a sailor, and was alive to all 
the new interests which geography then pre- 
sented to all inquiring minds. This was in the 
year 1477, and the King of Portugal was pressing 
the expeditions which, before the end of the cent- 
ury, resulted in the discovery of the route to the 
Indies by the Cape of Good Hope. 

The young couple had to live. Neither the 
bride nor her husband had any fortune, and Co- 
lumbus occupied himself as a draftsman, illus- 
trating books, making terrestrial globes, which 
must have been curiously inaccurate, since they 
had no Cape of Good Hope and no American 
Continent, drawing charts for sale, and collecting, 
where he could, the material for such study. Such 
charts and maps were beginning to assume new 
importance in those days of geographical discov- 
ery. The value attached to them may be judged 
from the statement that Vespucius paid one hun- 
dred and thirty ducats for one map. This sum 
would be more than five hundred dollars of our 
time. 

Columbus did not give up his maritime enter- 



1 



HIS NARROW ESCAPE AT SEA. 19 

prises. He made voyages to the coast of Guinea 
and in other directions. 

It is said that he was in command of one of the 
vessels of his relative Colon el Mozo, when, in the 
Portuguese seas, this admiral, with his squadron, 
engaged four Venetian galleys returning from 
Flanders, A bloody batde followed. The ship 
which Christopher Columbus commanded was 
engaged with a Venetian vessel, to which it set 
fire. There was danger of an explosion, and 
Columbus himself, seeing this danger, flung him- 
self into the sea, seized a floating oar, and thus 
gained the shore. He was not far from Lisbon, 
and from this time made Lisbon his home for 
many years.* 

It seems clear that, from the time when he 
arrived in Lisbon, for more than twenty years, he 
was at work trying to interest people in his 
"great design," of western discovery. He says 
himself, "I was constantly corresponding with 
learned men, some ecclesiastics and some laymen, 
some Latin and some Greek, some Jews and some 

*The critics challenge these dates, but there seems to be good 
foundation for the slury. 



20 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

Moors." The astronomer Toscanelli was one of 
these correspondents. 

We must not suppose that the idea of the 
roundness of the earth was invented by Colum- 
bus. Although there were other theories about 
its shape, many intelligent men well understood 
that the earth was a globe, and that the Indies, 
though they were always reached from Europe by 
going to the East, must be on the west of Europe 
also. There is a very funny story in the travels 
of Mandeville, in which a traveler is represented 
as having gone, mostly on foot, through all the 
countries of Asia, but finally determines to return 
to Norway, his home. In his farthest eastern 
investigation, he hears some people calling their 
cattle by a peculiar cry, which he had never heard 
before. After he returned home, it was necessary 
for him to take a day's journey westward to look 
after some cattle he had lost. Finding these 
cattle, he also heard the same cry of people call- 
ing cattle, which he had heard in the extreme East, 
and now learned, for the first time, that he had 
gone round the world on foot, to turn and come 
back by the same route, when he was only a day's 



CRUDE IDEAS OF GEOGRAPHY. 21 

journey from home. Columbus was acquainted 
with such stories as this, and also had the 
astronomical knowledge which almost made him 
know that the world was round, "and, like a ball, 
goes spinning in the air." The difficulty was to 
persuade other people that, because of this round- 
ness, it would be possible to attain Asia by sailing 
to the West. 

Now all the geographers of repute supposed 
that there was not nearly so large a distance as 
there proved to be, in truth, between Europe and 
Asia. Thus, in the geography of Ptolemy, which 
was the standard book at that time, one hundred 
and thirty-five degrees, a little more than one-third 
of the earth's circumference, is given to the space 
between the extreme eastern part of the Indies 
and the Canary Islands. In fact, as we now 
know, the distance is one hundred and eighty 
degrees, half the world's circumference. Had 
Columbus believed there was any such immense 
distance, he would never have undertaken his 
voyage. 

Almost all the detailed knowledge of the Indies 
which the people of his time had, was given by 



22 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

the explorations of Marco Polo, a Venetian 
traveler of the thirteenth century, whose book 
had long been in the possession of European 
readers. It is a very entertaining book now, and 
may well be recommended to young people who 
like stories of adventure. Marco Polo had 
visited the court of the Great Khan of Tartary at 
Pekin, the prince who brought the Chinese 
Empire into very much the condition in which it 
now is. He had, also, given accounts of Japan 
or Cipango, which he had himself never visited. 
Columbus knew, therefore, that, well east of the 
Indies, was the island of Cipango, and he aimed 
at that island, because he supposed that that was 
the nearest point to Europe, as in fact it is. And 
when finally he arrived at Cuba, as the reader 
will see, he thought he was in Japan. 

Columbus's father-in-law had himself been the 
Portuguese governor of the island of Porto Santo, 
where he had founded a colony. He, therefore, 
was interested in western explorations, and prob- 
ably from him Columbus collected some of the 
statements which are known to have influenced 
him, with regard to floating matters from the 



LETTER FROM TOSCANELLI TO COLUMBUS. 23 

West, which are constantly borne upon that island 
by the great currents of the sea. 

The historians are fond of bringing together 
all the intimations which are given in the Greek 
and Latin classics, and in later authors, with regard 
to a land beyond Asia. Perhaps the most famous 
of them is that of Seneca, "In the later years 
there shall come days in which Ocean shall loose 
his chains, and a great land shall appear . . 
and Thule shall not be the last of the worlds." 

In a letter which Toscanelli wrote to Columbus 
in 1474, he inclosed a copy of a letter which he had 
already sent to an officer of Alphonso V, the King 
of Portugal. In writing to Columbus, he says, 
"I see that you have a great and noble desire to 
go into that country (of the East) where the 
spices come from, and in reply to your letter I 
send you a copy of that which I addressed some 
years ago to my attached friend in the service of 
the most serene King of Portugal. He had an 
order from his Highness to write me on this 
subject. ... If I had a globe in my hand, I 
could show you what is needed. But I prefer to 
mark out the route on a chart like a - marine 



24 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

chart, which will be an assistance to your 
intelligence and enterprise. On this chart I have 
myself drawn the whole extremity of our western 
shore from Ireland as far down as the coast of 
Guinea toward the South, with all the islands 
which are to be found on this route. Opposite 
this [that is, the shores of Ireland and Africa] I 
have placed directly at the West the beginning of 
the Indies with the islands and places where you 
will land. You will see for yourself how many 
miles you must keep from the arctic pole toward 
the equator, and at what distance you will arrive 
at these regions so fertile and productive of spices 
and precious stones." In Toscanelli's letter, he 
not only indicates Japan, but, in the middle of the 
ocean, he places the island of Antilia. This old 
name afterwards gave the name by which the 
French still call the West Indies, Les Antilles. 
Toscanelli gives the exact distance which Colum- 
bus will have to sail : "From Lisbon to the famous 
city of Oulsay [Hang-tcheou-fou, then the capital 
of China] if you take the direct route toward the 
West, the distance will be thirty-nine hundred 
miles. And from Antilia to Japan it will be two 



HE DETERMINES TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC. 25 

hundred and twenty-five leagues." Toscanelli says 
again, "You see that tlie voyage that you wish to 
attempt is much less difficult than would be 
thought. You would be sure of this if you met 
as many people as I do who have been in the 
country of spices." 

While there were so many suggestions made 
that it would be possible to cross the Atlantic, 
there was one man who determined to do this. 
This man was Christopher Columbus. But he 
knew well that he could not do it alone. He 
must have money enough for an expedition, he 
must have authority to enlist crews for that expe- 
dition, and he must have power to govern those 
crews when they should arrive in the Indies. In 
our times such adventures have been conducted 
by mercantile corporations, but in those times no 
one thought of doing any such thing without the 
direct assistance and support of some monarch. 

It is easy now to see and to say that Columbus 
himself was singularly well fitted to take the 
charge of the expedition of discovery. He was 
an excellent sailor and at the same time he was a 
learned geographer and a good mathematician. 



26 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

He was living In Portugal, the kings of which 
country had, for many years, fostered the explora- 
tion of the coast of Africa, and were pushing 
expeditions farther and farther South. 

In doing this, they were, in a fashion, making 
new discoveries. For Europe was wholly igno- 
rant of the western coast of Africa, beyond the 
Canaries, when their expeditions began. But all 
men of learning knew that, five hundred years 
before the Christian era, Hanno, a Carthaginian, 
had sailed round Africa under the direction of the 
senate of Carthage. The efforts of the King of 
Portugal were to repeat the voyage made by 
Hanno. In 1441, Gonzales and Tristam sailed as 
far as Sierra Leone. They brought back some 
blacks as slaves, and this was the beginning of 
the slave trade. 

In 1446 the Portuguese took possession of the 
Azores, the most western points of the Old 
World. Step by step they advanced southward, 
and became familiar with the African coast. Bold 
navigators were eager to find the East, and at 
last success came. Under the king's orders, 
in August, 1477, three caravels sailed from the 



THE CAPE OF TORMENTS. 27 

Tagus, under Bartolomeo Diaz, for southern 
discovery. Diaz was himself brave enough to be 
wilHng to go on to the Red Sea, after he made 
the great discovery of the Cape of Good Hope, 
but his crews mutinied, after he had gone much 
farther than his predecessors, and compelled him 
to return. He passed the southern cape of 
Africa and went forty miles farther. He called it 
the Cape of Torments, " Cabo Tormentoso," so 
terrible were the storms he met there. But when 
King John heard his report he gave it that name 
of good omen which it has borne ever since, the 
name of the " Cape of Good Hope." 

In the midst of such endeavors to reach the 
East Indies by the long voyage down the coast of 
Africa and across an unknown ocean, Columbus 
was urging all people who cared, to try the route 
directly west. If the world was round, as the sun 
and moon were, and as so many men of learning 
believed, India or the Indies must be to the west 
of Portugal. The value of direct trade with the 
Indies would be enormous. Europe had already 
acquired a taste for the spices of India and had 
confidence in the drugs of India. The silks and 



28 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

Other articles of clothing made in India, and the 
carpets of India, were well known and prized. 
Marco Polo and others had given an impression 
that there was much gold in India ; and the pearls 
and precious stones of India excited the imagina- 
tion of all who read his travels. 

The immense value of such a commerce may 
be estimated from one fact. When, a generation 
after this time, one ship only of all the squadron 
of Magellan returned to Cadiz, after the first voy- 
age round the world, she was loaded with spices 
from the Moluccas. These spices were sold by 
the Spanish government for so large a sum of 
money that the king was remunerated for the 
whole cost of the expedition, and even made a 
very large profit from a transaction which had 
cost a great deal in its outfit. 

Columbus was able, therefore, to offer mercan- 
tile adventurers the promise of great profit in 
case of success ; and at this time kings were will- 
ing to take their share of such profits as might 
accrue. 

The letter of Toscanelli, the Italian geographer, 
which has been spoken of, was addressed to 



HE LEAVES LISBON. 29 

Alphonso V, the King of Portugal. To him and his 
successor, John the Second, Columbus explained 
the probability of success, and each of them, as it 
would seem, had confidence in it. But King John 
made the great mistake of intrusting Columbus's 
plan to another person for experiment. He was 
selfish enough, and mean enough, to fit out a ship 
privately and intrust its command to another sea- 
man, bidding him sail west in search of the Indies, 
while he pretended that he was on a voyage to 
the Cape de Verde Islands. He was, in fact, to 
follow the route indicated by Columbus. The 
vessel sailed. But, fortunately for the fame of 
Columbus, she met a terrible storm, and her offi- 
cers, in terror, turned from the unknown ocean 
and returned to Lisbon. Columbus himself tells 
this story. It was in disgust with the bad faith 
the kinof showed in this transaction that he left 
Lisbon to offer his great project to the King and 
Queen of Spain. 

In a similar way, a generation afterward, Ma- 
gellan, who was in the service of the King of 
Portugal, was disgusted by insults which he 
received at his court, and exiled himself to -Spain. 



30 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

He offered to the Spanish king his plan for sail- 
ing round the world and it was accepted. He 
sailed in a Spanish fleet, and to his discoveries 
Spain owes the possession of the Philippine 
Islands. Twice, therefore, did kings of Portugal 
lose for themselves, their children and their king- 
dom, the fame and the recompense which belong 
to such great discoveries. 

The wife of Columbus had died and he was 
without a home. He left Lisbon with his only 
son, Diego, in or near the end of the year 
1484. 



CHAPTER II. 
HIS PLANS FOR DISCOVERY. 

COLUMBUS LEAVES LISBON, AND VISITS GENOA VISITS 

GREAT SPANISH DUKES FOR SIX YEARS IS AT THE 

COURT OF FERDINAND AND ISABELLA THE COUNCIL 

OF SALAMANCA — HIS PETITION IS AT LAST GRANTED 
SQUADRON MADE READY. 

It has been supposed that when Columbus left 
Lisbon he was oppressed by debts. At a sub- 
sequent period, when King John wanted to recall 
him, he offered to protect him against any credit- 
ors. But on the other hand, it is thought that at 
this time he visited Genoa, and made some provis- 
ion for the comfort of his father, who was now 
an old man. Christopher Columbus, himself, ac- 
cording to the usual opinion regarding his birth, 
was now almost fifty years old. 

It is probable that at this time he urged on his 
countrymen, the Genoese, the importance of his 
great plan; and tried to interest them to make 
the great endeavor, for the purpose of reaching 

31 



32 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

the Indies by a western route. As it proved, the 
discovery of the route by the Cape of Good Hope 
was, commercially, a great injury to Genoa and 
the other maritime cities of Italy. Before this 
time, the eastern trade of Europe came by the 
ports of the eastern Mediterranean, and the Italian 
cities. Columbus's offer to Genoa was therefore 
one which, if her statesmen could have foreseen 
the future, they would have considered eagerly. 

But Genoa was greatly depressed at this period. 
In her wars with the Turks she had been, on the 
whole, not successful. She had lost Caffa, her 
station in the Crimea, and her possessions in the 
Archipelago were threatened. The government 
did not accept Columbus's proposals, and he was 
obliged to return with them to Spain. He went 
first to distinguished noblemen, in the South of 
Spain, who were of liberal and adventurous dis- 
position. One was the Duke of Medina Celi, and 
one the Duke of Medina Sidonia. Each of these 
grandees entertained him at their courts, and heard 
his proposals. 

The Duke of Medina Celi was so much inter- 
ested in them, that at one time he proposed to 



INTRUDUCEl) TO FERDINAND AND ISABELLA. 33 



give Columbus the direction of four vessels 
which he had in the harbor of Cadiz. But, of a 
sudden, he changed his mind. The enterprise 
was so vast, he said, that it should be under the 
direction of the crown. And, without losing 
confidence in it, he gave to Columbus an intro- 
duction to the king and queen, in which he 
cordially recommended him to their patronage. 





This king and queen were King Ferdinand of 
Araeon, and Queen Isabella of Castile. The 
marriage of these two had united Spain. Their 
affection for each other made the union real, and 
the energy, courage and wisdom of both made 
their reifm successful and irlorious. Of all its 
glories the greatest, as it has proved, was con- 
nected with the life and discoveries of the sailor 
who was now to approach them. He had been 

3 



34 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

disloyally treated by Portugal, he had been 
dismissed by Genoa. He had not succeeded 
with the great dukes. Now he was to press his 
adventure upon a king and queen who were 
engaged in a difficult war with the Moors, who 
still held a considerable part of the peninsula 
of Spain. 

The king and queen were residing at Cordova, 
a rich and beautiful city, which they had taken 
from the Moors. Under their rule Cordova had 
been the most important seat of learning in 
Europe. Here Columbus tarried at the house of 
Alonso de Ouintinilla, who became an ardent 
convert to his theory, and introduced him to 
important friends. By their agency, arrange- 
ments were made, in which Columbus should 
present his views to the king. The time was not 
such as he could have wished. All Cordova was 
alive with the preparation for a great campaign 
against the enemy. But King Ferdinand made 
arrangements to hear Columbus; it does not 
appear that, at the first hearing, Isabella was 
present at the interview. But Ferdinand, although 
in the midst of his military cares, was interested 



THE COUNCIL OF SALAMANCA. 35 

in the proposals made by Columbus. He liked 
the man. He was pleased by the modesty and 
dignity with which he brought forward his pro- 
posals. Columbus spoke, as he tells us, as one 
specially appointed by God Himself to carry out 
this discovery. The king did not, however, at 
once adopt the scheme, but gave out that a 
council of men of learning should be called 
too^ether to consider it. 

Columbus himself says that he entered the 
service of the sovereigns January 26, i486. 
The council to which he was referred was held in 
the university city of Salamanca, in that year. 
It gave to him a full opportunity to explain his 
theory. It consisted of a fair representation of 
the learninof of the time. But most of the men 
who met had formed their opinions on the subjects 
involved, and were too old to change them. A 
part of them were priests of the church, in the 
habit of looking to sacred Scripture as their only 
authority, when the pope had given no instruction 
in detail. Of these some took literally expressions 
in the Old Testament, which they supposed to be 
fatal to the plans of Columbus. Such was the 



36 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

phrase in the 104th Psalm, that God stretches out 
the heavens Hke a curtain. The expression in 
the book of Hebrews, that the heavens are 
extended as a tent, was also quoted, in the same 
view. 

Quotations from the early Fathers of the 
church were more fatal to the new plan than 
those from the Scripture. 

On the other hand there were men who 
cordially supported Columbus's wishes, and there 
were more when the congress parted than when 
it met. Its sessions occupied a considerable part 
of the summer, but it was not for years that it 
rendered any decision. 

The king, queen and court, meanwhile, were 
occupied in war with the Moors. Columbus was 
once and again summoned to attend the court, and 
more than once money was advanced to him to 
enable him to do so. Once he began new 
negotiations with King John, and from him he re- 
ceived a letter inviting- him to return to Portugal. 
He received a similar letter from King Henry VII 
of England inviting him to his court. Nothing 
was determined on in Spain. To this day, the 



OPPOSED BY MEN OF LEARNING. 37 

people of that country are thought to have a 
habit of postponement to tomorrow of that which 
perplexes them. In 1489, according to Ortiz de 
Zuniga, Columbus fought in battle in the king's 
army. 

When, however, in the winter of 1490, it was 
announced that the army was to take the field 
again, never to leave its camp till Grenada had 
fallen, Columbus felt that he must make one last 
endeavor. He insisted that he must have an 
answer regarding his plans of discovery. The 
confessor of the queen, Fernando da Talavera, 
was commanded to obtain the definite answer of 
the men of learning. Alas! it was fatal to 
Columbus's hopes. They said that it was not 
right that great princes should undertake such 
enterprises on grounds as weak as those which he 
relied upon. 

The sovereigns themselves, however, were 
more favorable; so was a minority of the council 
of Salamanca. And the confessor was instructed 
to tell him that their expenses in the war forbade 
them from sending him out as a discoverer, but 
that, when that was well over, they had hopes 



38 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

that they might commission him. This was the 
end of five years of soHcitation, in which he had 
put his trust in princes. Columbus regarded the 
answer, as well he might, as only a courtly meas- 
ure of refusal. And he retired in disgust from 
the court at Seville. 

He determined to lay his plans before the King 
of France. He was traveling with this purpose, 
with his son, Diego, now a boy of ten or twelve 
years of age, when he arrived at night at the 
hospitable convent of Saint Mary of Rabida, 
which has been made celebrated by that incident. 
It is about three miles south of what was then the 
seaport of Palos, one of the active ports of com- 
mercial Spain. The convent stands on level 
ground high above the sea ; but a steep road 
runs down to the shore of the ocean. Some of 
its windows and corridors look out upon the 
ocean on the west and south, and the inmates 
still show the room in which Columbus used to 
write, and the inkstand which served his purposes 
while he lived there. It is maintained as a monu- 
ment of history by the Spanish government. 

At the door of this convent he asked for bread 



FIRST MEETS THE BROTHERS PINZON. 39 

and water for his boy. The prior of the convent 
was named Juan Perez de Marchena, He was 
attracted by the appearance of Columbus, still 
more by his conversation, and invited him to 
remain as their e^-iest. 

When he learned that his new friend was about 
to offer to France the advantages of a discovery 
so great as that proposed, he begged him to 
make one effort more at home. He sent for 
some friends, Fernandos, a physician at Palos, 
and for the brothers Pinzon, who now appear for 
the first time in a story where their part is dis- 
tinguished. Together they all persuaded Colum- 
bus to send one messenger more to wait upon 
their sovereigns. The man sent was Rodriguez, 
a pilot of Lepe, who found access to the queen 
because Juan Perez, the prior, had formerly been 
her confessor. She had confidence in him, as she 
had, indeed, in Columbus. And in fourteen days 
the friendly pilot came back from Santa Fe with a 
kind letter from the queen to her friend, bidding 
him return at once to court. Perez de Marchena 
saddled his mule at once and before midnight 
was on his way to see his royal mistress. • 



40 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

Santa Fe was half camp, half city. It had been 
built in what is called the Vega, the great fruitful 
plain which extends for many miles to the west- 
ward of Grenada, The court and army were here 
as they pressed their attack on that city. Perez 
de Marchena had ready access to Queen Isabella, 
and pressed his suit well. He was supported by 
one of her favorites, the Marquesa de Moya. In 
reply to their solicitations, she asked that Colum- 
bus should return to her, and ordered that twenty 
thousand maravedis should be sent to him for his 
traveling expenses. 

This sum was immediately sent by Perez to 
his friend. Columbus bought a mule, exchanged 
his worn clothes for better ones, and started, as 
he was bidden, for the camp. 

He arrived there just after the great victory, 
by which the king and queen had obtained their 
wish — had taken the noble city of Grenada and 
ended Moorish rule in Spain. King, queen, court 
and army were preparing to enter the Alhambra 
in triumph. Whoever tries to imagine the scene, 
in which the great procession entered through 
the gates, so long sealed, or of the moment when 



OPPOSITION OF THE QUEEN's CONFESSOR. 41 

the royal banner of Spain was first flying out 
upon the Tower of the Vela, must remember that 
Columbus, elate, at last, with hopes for his own 
great discovery, saw the triumph and joined in 
the display. 

But his success was not immediate, even now. 
Fernando de Talavera, who had had the direction 
of the wise council of Salamanca, was now Arch- 
bishop of Grenada, whose see had been conferred 
on him after the victory. He was not the friend 
of Columbus. And when, at what seemed the 
final interview with king and queen, he heard 
Columbus claim the rio-ht to one-tenth of all the 
profits of the enterprise, he protested against such 
lavish recompense of an adventurer. He was now 
the confessor of Isabella, as Juan Perez, the 
friendly prior, had been before. Columbus, how- 
ever, was proud and firm. He would not yield 
to the terms prepared by the archbishop. He 
preferred to break off the negotiation, and again 
retired from court. He determined, as he had 
before, to lay his plans before the King of France. 

Spain would have lost the honor and the reward 
of the great discovery, as Portugal and Genoa had 



42 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

lost them, but for Luis de St. Angel, and the 
queen herself. St. Angel had been the friend of 
Columbus. He was an important officer, the 
treasurer of the church revenues of Aragon. He 
now insisted upon an audience from the queen. 
It would seem that Ferdinand, though King of 
Aragon, was not present. St. Angel spoke 
eloquently. The friendly Marchioness of Moya 
spoke eagerly and persuasively. Isabella was at 
last fired with zeal. Columbus should go, and 
the enterprise should be hers. 

It is here that the incident belongs, represented 
in the statue by Mr„ Mead, and that of Miss 
Hosmer. The sum required for the discovery of 
a world was only three thousand crowns. Two 
vessels were all that Columbus asked for, with the 
pay of their crews. But where were three thou- 
sand crowns ? The treasury was empty, and the 
king was now averse to any action. It was at 
this moment that Isabella said, "The enterprise is 
mine, for the Crown of Castile. I pledge my 
jewels for the funds." 

The funds were in fact advanced by St. Angel, 
from the ecclesiastical revenues under his control. 



DESPAIR CHANGED TO HOPE. 43 

They were repaid from the gold brought in the first 
voyage. But, always afterward, Isabella regarded 
the Indies as a Castilian possession. The most 
important officers in its administration, indeed 
most of the emigrants, were always from Castile. 

Columbus, meanwhile, was on his way back to 
Palos, on his mule, alone. But at a bridge, still 
pointed out, a royal courier overtook him, bidding 
him return. The spot has been made the scene 
of more than one picture, which represents the 
crisis, in which the despair of one moment 
changed to the glad hope which was to lead to 
certainty. 

He returned to Isabella for the last time, before 
that ereat return in which he came as a con- 
queror, to display to her the riches of the New 
World. The king yielded j. slow and doubtful 
assent. Isabella took the enterprise in her own 
hands. She and Columbus agreed at once, and 
articles were drawn up which gave him the place 
of admiral for life on all lands he might discover ; 
gave him one-tenth of all pearls, precious stones, 
gold, silver, spices and other merchandise to be 
obtained in his admiralty, and gave him the right 



44 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

to nominate three candidates from whom the 
governor of each province should be selected by 
the crown. He was to be the judge of all disputes 
arising from such traffic as was proposed ; and he 
was to have one- eighth part of the profit, and 
bear one-eighth part of the cost of it. 

With this glad news he returned at once to 
Palos. The Pinzons, who had been such loyal 
friends, were to take part in the enterprise. He 
carried with him a royal order, commanding the 
people of Palos to fit out two caravels within ten 
days, and to place them and their crews at the 
disposal of Columbus. The third vessel proposed 
was to be fitted out by him and his friends. The 
crews were to be paid four months' wages in 
advance, and Columbus was to have full com- 
mand, to do what he chose, if he did not interfere 
with the Portuo-uese discoveries. 

On the 23rd of May, Columbus went to the 
church of San Giorgio in Palos, with his friend, 
the prior of St. Mary's convent, and other im- 
portant people, and the royal order was read with 
great solemnity. 

But it excited at first only indignation or 



A MODEL SHIP. 



45 



^cemm 




[Fac simile of a wood cut of 1493. M. Bossi supposes, probably 
without authority, that it follows a design made by Columbus] 



46 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

dismay. The expedition was most unpopular. 
Sailors refused to enlist, and the authorities, who 
had already offended the crown, so that they had 
to furnish these vessels, as it were, as a fine, 
refused to do what they were bidden. Other 
orders from Court were necessary. But it seems 
to have been the courage and determination of 
the Pinzons which carried the preparations 
through. After weeks had been lost, Martin 
Alonso Pinzon and his brothers said they would 
go in person on the expedition. They were well- 
known merchants and seamen, and were much 
respected. Sailors were impressed, by the royal 
authority, and the needful stores were taken in 
the same way. It seems now strange that so 
much difficulty should have surrounded an expe- 
dition in itself so small. But the plan met then 
all the superstition, terror and other prejudice 
of the time. 

All that Columbus asked or needed was three 
small vessels and their stores and crews. The 
largest ships engaged were little larger than the 
large yachts, whose races every summer delight 
the people of America. The Gallega and the 



THE SANTA MARIA, PINTA AND NINA. 



47 



Pinta were the two larcrest. They were called 
caravels, a name then given to the smallest three- 
masted vessels. Columbus once uses it for a 
vessel of forty tons; but it generally applied in 
Portuguese or Spanish use to a vessel, ranging 
one hundred and twenty to one hundred and 
forty Spanish "toneles." This word represents a 
capacity about one-tenth larger than that expressed 
by our English "ton." 
The reader should 
remember that most 
of the commerce of 
the time was the 
coasting commerce 
of the Mediterranean, 
and that it was not 
well that the ships 
should draw much 
water. The fleet of 
Columbus, as it sailed, 
consisted of the Gal- 
lega (the Galician), 
of which he changed the name to the Santa 
Maria, and of the Pinta and the Nina.. Of 




COLUMBUS S FLEET. 
[From a manuscript of 1583.] 



48 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOrilER COLUMBUS. 

these the first two were of a tonnage which 
we should rate as about one hundred and thirty 
tons. The Nina was much smaller, not more 
than fifty tons. One. writer says that they were 
all without full decks, that is, that such decks as 
they had did not extend from stem to stern. But 
the other authorities speak as if the Nina only was 
an open vessel, and the two larger were decked. 
Columbus himself took command of the Santa 
Maria, Martin Alonso Pinzon of the Pinta, and 
his brothers, Francis Martin and Vicente Yanez, 
of the Nina. The whole company in all three 
ships numbered one hundred and twenty men. 

Mr. Harrisse shows that the expense to the 
crown amounted to 1,140,000 maravedis. This, 
as he counts it, is about sixty-four thousand 
dollars of our money. To this Columbus was to 
add one-eighth of the cost. His friends, the 
Pinzons, seem to have advanced this, and to 
have been afterwards repaid. Las Casas and 
Herrera both say that the sum thus added was 
much more than one-eighth of the cost and 
amounted to half a million maravedis. 



CHAPTER III. 

THE GREAT VOYAGE. 

THE SQUADRON SAILS REFITS AT CANARY ISLANDS HOPES 

AND FEARS OF THE VOYAGE — -THE DOUBTS OF THE 
CREW LAND DISCOVERED. 

At last all was ready. That is to say, the fleet 
was so far ready that Columbus was ready to 
start. The vessels were small, as we think of 
vessels, but he was not dissatisfied. He says in 
the beginning of his journal, "I armed three 
vessels very fit for such an enterprise." He had 
left Grenada as late as the twelfth of May. He 
had crossed Spain to Palos,* and in less than three 
months had fitted out the ships and was ready 
for sea. 

The harbor of Palos is now ruined. Mud and 
gravel, brought down by the River Tinto, have 

* Palos is now so insignificant a place that on some important maps of 
Spain it will not be found. It is on the east side of the Tinto river , ^ua 
Huelva, on the west side, has taken its place. 
4 49 



50 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

filled up the bay, so that even small boats cannot 
approach the shore. The traveler finds, however, 
the island of Saltes, quite outside the bay, much as 
Columbus left it. It is a small spit of sand, 
covered with shells and with a few seashore 
herbs. His own account of the great voyage 
begins with the words : 

"Friday, August 3, 1492. Set sail from the bar 
of Saltes at 8 o'clock, and proceeded with a 
strong breeze till sunset sixty miles, or fifteen 
leagues south, afterward southwest and south by 
west, which is in the direction of the Canaries." 

It appears, therefore, that the great voyage, the 
most important and successful ever made, began 
on Friday, the day which is said to be so much 
disliked by sailors. Columbus never alludes to 
this superstition. 

He had always meant to sail first for the Cana- 
ries, which were the most western land then 
known in the latitude of his voyage. From Lis- 
bon to the famous city of "Ouisay," or "Ouinsay," 
in Asia, Toscanelli, his learned correspondent, 
supposed the distance to be less than one thou- 
sand leagues westward. From the Canary islands, 



THE PINTA REPAIRED. 51 

on that supposition, the distance would be ten 
degrees less. The distance to Cipango, or Japan, 
would be much less. 

As it proved, the squadron had to make some 
stay at the Canaries. The rudder of the Pinta 
was disabled, and she proved leaky. It was 
suspected that the owners, from whom she had 
been forcibly taken, had intentionally disabled her, 
or that possibly the crew had injured her. But 
Columbus says in his journal that Martin Alonso 
Pinzon, captain of the Pinta, was a man of capac- 
ity and courage, and that this quieted his appre- 
hensions. From the ninth of August to the 
second of September, nearly four weeks were 
spent by the Pinta and her crew at the Grand 
Canary island, and she was repaired. She proved 
afterwards a serviceable vessel, the fastest of the 
fleet. At the Canaries they heard stories of lands 
seen to the westward, to which Columbus refers in 
his journal. On the sixth of September they 
sailed from Gomera and on the eighth they lost 
sight of land. Nor did they see land again for 
thirty-three days. Such was the length of the great 
voyage. All the time, most naturally, they -were 



52 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

wishing- for signs, not of land perhaps, but which 
might show whether this great ocean were really 
different from other seas. On the whole the voy- 
age was not a dangerous one. 

Accordino- to the Admiral's reckoninof- — and in 
his own journal Columbus always calls himself the 
Admiral — its length was one thousand and eighty- 
nine leagues. This was not far from right, the 
real distance being, in a direct line, three thousand 
one hundred and forty nautical miles, or three 
thousand six hundred and twenty statute miles.* 
It would not be considered a very long voyage 
for small vessels now. In general the course was 
west. Sometimes, for special reasons, they sailed 
south of west. If they had sailed precisely west 
they would have struck the shore of the United 
States a little north of the spot where St. Augus- 
tine now is, about the northern line of Florida. 

Had the coast of Asia been, indeed, as near as 
Toscanelli and Columbus supposed, this latitude 
of the Canary islands would have been quite near 

* The computations from Santa Cruz, in the Canaries, to San Salvador 
give this result, as kiadly made for us by Lieuteuaul Mozer, of the United 
States navy. 



SUPPOSED HARBINGERS OF LAND. 53 

the mouth of the Yang-tse-Kiang river, in China, 
which was what Columbus was seekingf. For 
nearly a generation afterwards he and his follow- 
ers supposed that the coast of that region was 
what they had found. 

It was on Saturday, the eighth of September, 
that they lost sight of Teneriffe. On the elev- 
enth they saw a large piece of the mast of a 
ship afloat. On the fourteenth they saw a "tropic- 
bird," which the sailors thought was never seen 
more than twenty-five leagues from land ; but 
it must be remembered, that, outside of the 
Mediterranean, few of the sailors had ever been 
farther themselves. On the sixteenth they began 
to meet "large patches of weeds, very green, 
which appeared to have been recently washed 
away from land." This was their first knowl- 
edge of the "Sargasso sea," a curious tract in 
mid-Atlantic which is always green with float- 
ing seaweeds. "The continent we shall find 
farther on," wrote the confident Admiral. 

An observation of the sun on the seventeenth 
proved what had been suspected before, that the 
needles of the compasses were not pointing 



54 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

precisely to the north. The variation of the needle, 
since that time, has been a recognized fact. But 
this observation at so critical a time first disclosed 
it. The crew were naturally alarmed. Here was 
evidence that, in the great ocean, common laws 
were not to be relied upon. But they had great 
respect for Columbus's knowledge of such sub- 
jects. He told them that it was not the north 
which had changed, nor the needle, which was true 
to the north, but the polar star revolved, like 
other stars, and for the time they were satisfied. 

The same day they saw weeds which he was 
sure were land weeds. From them he took a 
living crab, whose unintentional voyage eastward 
was a great encouragement to the bolder adven- 
turer westward. Columbus kept the crab, saying 
that such were never found eighty leagues from 
land. In fact this poor crab was at least nine 
hundred and seventy leagues from the Bahamas, 
as this same journal proves. On the eighteenth 
the Pinta ran ahead of the other vessels, Martin 
Alonso was so sure that he should reach land 
that night. But it was not to come so soon. 

Columbus every day announced to his crew a 



HIS LOG PURPOSELY ERRONEOUS. 55 

less distance as the result of the day than they 
had really sailed. For he was afraid of their 
distrust, and did not dare let them know how far 
they were from home. The private journal, 
therefore, has such entries as this, "Sailed more 
than fifty-five leagues, wrote down only forty- 
eight." That is, he wrote on the daily log, which 
was open to inspection, a distance some leagues 
less than they had really made. 

On the twentieth pelicans are spoken of, on the 
twenty-first "such abundance of weeds that the 
ocean seemed covered with them," "the sea 
smooth as a river, and the finest air in the world. 
Saw a whale, an indication of land, as they always 
keep near the coast." To later times, this note, 
also, shows how ignorant Columbus then was of 
mid-ocean. 

On the twenty-second, to the Admiral's relief, 
there was a head wind ; for the crew began to 
think that with perpetual east winds they would 
never return to Spain. They had been in what are 
known as the trade winds. On the twenty-third 
the smoother water gave place to a rough sea, and 
he writes that this "was favorable to mq, as it 



56 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

happened formerly to Moses when he led the 
Jews from Egypt." 

The next day, thanks to the headwinds, their 
progress was less. On the twenty-fifth, Pinzon, of 
the Pinta, felt sure that they were near the outer 
islands of Asia as they appeared on the Toscanelli 
map, and at sunset called out with joy that he saw 
land, claiming a reward for such news. The crews 
of both vessels sang "Glory to God in the high 
est," and the crew of the little Nina were sure 
that the bank was land. On this occasion they 
changed from a western course to the south- 
west. But alas! the land was a fog-bank, and 
the reward never came to Martin Pinzon. On 
the twenty-sixth, again "the sea was like a river." 
This was Wednesday. In three days they sailed 
sixty-nine leagues. Saturday was calm. They saw 
a bird called "Rabihorcado, " "which never alights 
at sea, nor goes twenty leagues from land," wrote 
the confident Columbus; "Nothing is wanting but 
the singing of the nightingale," he says. 

Sunday, the thirtieth, brought "tropic-birds" 
again, "a very clear sign of land." Monday the 
journal shows them seven hundred and seven 



REALLY IGNORANT OF HIS LOCATION. 57 

leagues from Ferro. Tuesday a white gull was the 
only visitor. Wednesday they had pardelas and 
great quantities of seaweed. Columbus began to 
be sure that they had passed "the islands" and 
were nearing the continent of Asia. Thursday 
they had a flock of pardelas, two pelicans, a rabi- 
horcado and a gull. Friday, the fifth of October, 
brought pardelas and flying-fishes. 

We have copied these simple intimations from 
the journal to show how constantly Columbus 
supposed that he was near the coast of Asia. 
On the sixth of October Pinzon asked that the 
course mio-ht be chanofed to the southwest. 
But Columbus held on. On the seventh the Nina 
was ahead, and fired a gun and hoisted her flag in 
token that she saw land. But again they were 
disappointed. Columbus gave directions to keep 
close order at sunrise and sunset. The next day 
he did change the course to west southwest, 
following flights of birds from the north which 
went in that direction. On the eighth " the sea was 
like the river at Seville," the weeds were very few 
and they took land birds on board the ships. On 
the ninth they sailed southwest five leagues," and 



58 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

then with a change of wind went west by north. 
All night they heard the birds of passage passing. 

On the tenth of October the men made remon- 
strance, which has been exaggerated in history 
into a revolt. It is said, in books of authority, 
that Columbus begged them to sail west only three 
days more. But in the private journal of the tenth 
he says simply : "The seamen complained of the 
length of the voyage. They did not wish to go 
any farther. The Admiral did his best to renew 
their courage, and reminded them of the profits 
which would come to them. He added, boldl}^ 
that no complaints would change his purpose, that 
he had set out to go to the Indies, and that with 
the Lord's assistance he should keep on until he 
came there." This is the only passage in the 
journal which has any resemblance to the account 
of the mutiny. 

If it happened, as Oviedo says, three days 
before the discovery, it would have been on the 
eighth of October, On that day the entry is, 
"Steered west southwest, and sailed day and 
night eleven or twelve leagues — at times, during 
the night, fifteen miles an hour — if the log can be 



STORY OF A MUTINY DISPROVED. 59 

relied upon. Found the sea like the river at 
Seville, thanks to God. The air was as soft as that 
of Seville in April, and so fragrant that it was 
deHcious to breathe it. The weeds appeared 
very fresh. Many land birds, one of which they 
took, flying- towards the southwest, also grajaos, 
ducks and a pelican were seen." 

This is not the account of a mutiny. And 
the discovery of Columbus's own journal makes 
that certain, which was probable before, that the 
romantic account of the despair of the crews was 
embroidered on the narrative after the event, 
and by people who wanted to improve the story. 
It was, perhaps, borrowed from a story of Diaz's 
voyage. We have followed the daily record to 
show how constantly they supposed, on the other 
hand, that they were always nearing land. 

With the eleventh of October, came certainty. 
The eleventh is sometimes spoken of as the day 
of discover}% and sometimes the twelfth, when 
they landed on the first island of the new world. 

The whole original record of the discovery is 
this: "Oct. II, course to west and southwest. 
Heavier sea than they had known, pardelas" and 



60 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

a green branch near the caravel of the Admiral. 
From the Pinta they see a branch of a tree, a 
stake and a smaller stake, which they draw in, 
and which appears to have been cut with iron, 
and a piece of cane. Besides these, there is a 
land shrub and a little bit of board. The crew of 
the Nina saw other signs of land and a branch 
covered with thorns and flowers. With these 
tokens every-one breathes again and is delighted. 
They sail twenty-seven leagues on this course. 

"The Admiral orders that they shall resume a 
westerly course at sunset. They make twelve 
miles each hour ; up till two hours after midnight 
they made ninety miles. 

"The Pinta, the best sailer of the three, was 
ahead. She makes signals, already agreed upon, 
that she has discovered land. A sailor named 
Rodrigo de Triana was the first to see this land. 
For the Admiral being on the castle of the 
poop of the ship at ten at night really saw a 
light, but it was so shut in by darkness that he 
did not like to say that it was a sign of land. 
Still he called up Pedro Gutierrez, the king's 
chamberlain, and said to him that there seemed 



LAND SEEN AT LAST. 61 

to be a liofht, and asked him to look. He did so 
and saw it. He said the same to Rodrigo San- 
chez of Segovia, who had been sent by the king 
and queen as inspector in the fleet, but he saw 
nothing, being indeed in a place where he could 
see nothing. 

"After the Admiral spoke of it, the light was 
seen once or twice. It was like a wax candle, 
raised and lowered, which would appear to few 
to be a sio^n of land. But the Admiral was certain 
that it was a sign of land. Therefore when they 
said the "Salve," which all the sailors are used to 
say and sing in their fashion, the Admiral ordered 
them to look out well from the forecastle, and he 
would give at once a silk jacket to the man who 
first saw land, besides the other rewards which 
the sovereigns had ordered, which were 10,000 
maravedis, to be paid as an annuity forever 
to the man who saw it first. 

"At two hours after midnight land appeared, 
from which they were about two leagues off." 

This is the one account of the discovery writ- 
ten at the time. It is worth copying and reading 
at full in its litde details, for it contrasts curiously 



62 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

with the embellished accounts which appear in the 
next generation. Thus the historian Oviedo says, 
in a dramatic way : 

"One of the ship boys on the largest ship, 
a native of Lepe, cried ' Fire ! ' 'Land!' Imme- 
diately a servant of Columbus replied, ' The 
Admiral had said that already.' Soon after, 
Columbus said, ' I said so some time ago, and 
that I saw that fire on the land.'" And so indeed 
it happened that Thursday, at two hours after 
midnight, the Admiral called a gentleman named 
Escobedos, officer of the wardrobe of the king, 
and told him that he saw fire. And at the break 
of day, at the time Columbus had predicted the 
day before, they saw from the largest ship the 
island which the Indians call Guanahani to the 
north of them. 

"And the first man to see the land, when day 
came, was Rodrigo of Triana, on the eleventh day 
of October, 1492 " Nothing is more certain than 
that this was really on the twelfth. 

The reward for first seeing land was eventu- 
ally awarded to Columbus, and it was regularly 
paid him through his life. It was the annual 



HIS ANNUITY. 



63 



payment of 10,000 maravedis. A maravedi was 
then a little less than six cents of our currency. 
The annuity was, therefore, about six hundred 
dollars a year. 

The worth of a maravedi varied, from time to 
time, so that the calculations of the value of any 
number of maravedis are very confusing. Before 
the coin went out of use it was worth only half a 
cent. 




COLUMRUS AND THE SPANIARDS AT SAN SALVADOR, WHILE ON HIS 
FIRST VOYAGE. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE LANDING ON THE TWELFTH OF OCTOBER THE NATIVES 

AND THEIR NEIGHBORS' SEARCH FOR GOLD CUBA 

DISCOVERED COLUMBUS COASTS ALONG ITS SHORES. 

It was on Friday, the twelfth of October, that 
they saw this island, which was an island of the 
Lucayos group, called, says Las Casas, "in the 
tongue of the India,ns, Guanahani." Soon they 
saw people naked, and the Admiral went ashore 
in the armed boat, with Martin Alonzo Pinzon 
and Vicente Yanez, his brother, who was captain 
of the Nina. The Admiral unfurled the Royal 
Standard, and the captain's two standards of the 
Greek Cross, which the Admiral raised on all the 
ships as a sign, with an F. and a Y. ; over each 
letter a crown ; one on one side of the W^ 
and the other on the other. When they were 
ashore they saw very green trees and much 
water, and fruits of different kinds. 

"The Admiral called the two captains and the 
others who went ashore, and Rodrigo Descovedo, 



HE TAKES POSSESSION OF GUANAHANI. 05 

Notary of the whole tleet, and Rodrigo Sanchez 
of Segovia, and he said that they must give him 
their faith and witness how he took possession 
before all others, as in fact he did take possession 
of the said island for the king and the queen, his 
lord and lady. . . . Soon many people of 
the island assembled. These which follow are 
the very words of the Admiral, in his book of his 
first navigation and discovery of these Indies." 

October 11-12. "So that they may feel great 
friendship for us, and because I knew that they 
were a people who would be better delivered and 
converted to our Holy Faith by love than by 
force, I gave to some of them red caps and glass 
bells which they put round their necks, and many 
other things of little value, in which they took 
much pleasure, and they remained so friendly to 
us that it was wonderful. 

"Afterwards they came swimming to the ship's 
boats where we were. And they brought us 
parrots and cotton-thread in skeins, and javelins 
and many other things. And they bartered them 
with us for other things, which we gave them, 
such as little glass beads and little bells.- In 



66 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

short, they took everything, and gave of what they 
had with good will. But it seemed to me that 
they were a people very destitute of everything. 

"They all went as naked as their mothers bore 
them, and the women as well, although I only 
saw one who was really young. And all the men 
I saw were young, for I saw none more than 
thirty years of age; very well made, with very 
handsome persons, and very good faces; their 
hair thick like the hairs of horses' tails, and cut 
short. They bring their hair above their eye- 
brows, except a little behind, which they wear 
long, and never cut. Some of them paint them- 
selves blackish (and they are of the color of the 
inhabitants of the Canaries, neither black nor 
white), and some paint themselves white, and 
some red, and some with whatever they can get. 
And some of them paint their faces, and some all 
their bodies, and some only the eyes, and some 
only the nose. 

"They do not bear arms nor do they know 
them, for I showed them swords and they took 
them by the edge, and they cut themselves 
through ignorance. They have no iron at all; 



HIS ESTIMATE OF THE NATIVES. 67 

their javelins are rods without iron, and some of 
them have a fish's tooth at the end, and some of 
them other things. They are all of good stature, 
and good graceful appearance, well made. I 
saw some who had scars of wounds in their 
bodies, and I made signs to them [to ask] what 
that was, and they showed me how people came 
there from other islands which lay around, and 
tried to take them captive and they defended 
themselves. And I believed, and I [still] believe, 
that they came there from the mainland to take 
them for captives. 

"They would be good servants, and of good 
disposition, for I see that they repeat very quickly 
everything which is said to them. And I believe 
that they could easily be made Christians, for it 
seems to me that they have no belief. I, if it 
please our Lord, will take six of them to your 
Highnesses at the time of my departure, so that 
they may learn to talk. No wild creature of any 
sort have I seen, except parrots, in this island." 

All these are the words of the Admiral, says 
Las Casas. The journal of the next day is in 
these words : 



68 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

Saturday, October 13. "As soon as the day 
broke, many of these men came to the beach, all 
young-, as I have said, and all of good stature, a 
very handsome race. Their hair is not woolly, 
but straight and coarse, like horse hair, and all 
with much wider foreheads and heads than any 
other people I have seen up to this time. And 
their eyes are very fine and not small, and they 
are not black at all, but of the color of the Canary 
Islanders. And nothing else could be expected, 
since it is on one line of latitude with the Island of 
Ferro, in the Canaries. 

"They came to the ship with almadias,*'' which 
are made of the trunk of a tree, like a lone 
boat, and all of one piece — and made in a very 
wonderful manner in the fashion of the country — 
and large enough for some of them to hold forty 
or forty-five men. And others are smaller, down 
to such as hold one man alone. They row with a 
shovel like a baker's, and it goes wonderfully 
well. And if it overturns, immediately they all go 
to swimming and they right it, and bale it with 
calabashes which they carry. 

*Arabic word for raft or float ; here it means canoes. 



HUNTING FOR GOLD. 69 

"They brought skeins of spun cotton, and 
parrots, and javelins, and other Httle things which 
it would be wearisome to write down, and they 
gave everything for whatever was given to them. 

"And I strove attentively to learn whether there 
were gold. And I saw that some of them had a 
little piece of gold hung in a hole which they have 
in their noses. And by signs I was able to under- 
stand that going to the south, or going round the 
island to the southward, there was a king there 
who had great vessels of it, and had very much of 
it. I tried to persuade them to go there ; and 
afterward I saw that they did not understand 
about going.* 

*To this first found land, called by the natives Guanahani, Colum- 
bus gave the name of San Salvador. There is, however, great 
doubt whether this is the island known by that name on the maps. 
Of late years the impression has generally been that the island 
thus discovered is that now known as Watling's island. In i860 
Admiral Fo.\, of the United States navy, visited all these islands, 
and studied the whole question anew, visiting the islands himself 
and working backwards to the account of Columbus's subsequent 
voyage, so as to fix the spot from which that voyage began. Admiral 
Fox decides that the island of discovery was neither San Salvador nor 
Watling's island, but the Samana island of the same group. The 
subject is so curious that we copy bis results at more length in the 
appendix. 



70 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

"I determined to wait till the next afternoon, 
and then to start for the southwest, for many of 
them told me that there was land to the south and 
southwest and northwest, and that those from the 
northwest came often to fight with them, and so to 
go on to the southwest to seek gold and precious 
stones. 

"This island is very large and very flat and 
with very green trees, and many waters, and a 
very large lake in the midst, without any moun- 
tain. And all of it is green, so that it is a pleas- 
ure to see it. And these people are so gentle, 
and desirous to have our articles and thinking that 
nothing can be given them unless they give some- 
thing and do not keep it back. They take what 
they can, and at once jump [into the water] and 
swim [away]. But all that they have they give 
for whatever is given them. For they barter 
even for pieces of porringus, and of broken glass 
cups, so that I saw sixteen skeins of cotton given 
for three Portuguese centis, that is a blattca of 
Castile, and there was more than twenty-five 
pounds of spun cotton in them. This I shall 
forbid, and not let anyone take [it] ; but I shall 



NATIVE HOSPITALITIES. 71 

have it all taken for your Highnesses, if there is 
any quantity of it. 

"It grows here in this island, but for a short 
time I could not believe it at all. And there is 
found here also the gold which they wear hanging 
to their noses ; but so as not to lose time I mean 
to go to see whether I can reach the island of 
Cipango. 

" Now as it was night they all went ashore with 
their almadias!'' 

Sunday, October 14. "At daybreak I had the 
ship's boat and the boats of the caravels made 
ready, and I sailed along the island, toward the 
north-northeast, to see the other port, * * * * 
what there was [there], and also to see the towns, 
and I soon saw two or three, and the people, 
who all were coming to the shore, calling us and 
giving thanks to God. Some brought us water, 
others things to eat. Others, when they saw that 
I did not care to go ashore, threw themselves into 
the sea and came swimming, and we understood 
that they asked us if we had come from heaven. 
And an old man came into the boat, and others 
called all [the rest] men and women, with a loud 



72 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

voice: 'Come and see the men who have come 
from heaven ; bring- them food and drink.' 

" There came many of them and many women, 
each one with something, giving thanks to God, 
casting themselves on the ground, and raising their 
heads toward heaven. And afterwards they called 
us with shouts to come ashore. 

" But I feared [to do so], for I saw a great reef 
of rocks which encircles all that island. And in it 
there is bottom and harbor for as many ships as 
there are in all Christendom, and its entrance 
very narrow. It is true that there are some 
shallows inside this ring, but the sea is no rougher 
than in a well. 

" And I was moved to see all this, this morning, 
so that I miofht be able to crive an account of it all 
to your Highnesses, and also [to find out] where I 
might make a fortress. And I saw a piece of land 
formed like an island, although it is not one, in 
which there were six houses, which could be cut 
offin two days so as to become an island ; although 
I do not see that it is necessary, as this people is 
very ignorant of arms, as your Highnesses will see 
from seven whom I had taken, to carry them off 



THE NATIVES TALK BY SIGNS. 73 

to learn our speech and to bring them back again. 
But your Highnesses, when you direct, can take 
them all to Castile, or keep them captives in this 
same island, for with fifty men you can keep them 
all subjected, and make them do whatever you like. 

"And close to the said islet are groves of trees, 
the most beautiful I have seen, and as green and 
full of leaves as those of Castile in the months of 
April and May, and much water. 

" I looked at all that harbor and then I returned 
to the ship and set sail, and I saw so many islands 
that I could not decide to which I should go first. 
And those men whom I had taken said to me by 
signs that there were so very many that they were 
without number, and they repeated by name more 
than a hundred. At last I set sail for the largest 
one, and there I determined to go. And so I am 
doing, and it will be five leagues from the island 
of San Salvador, and farther from some of the 
rest, nearer to others. They all are very flat, 
without mountains and very fertile, and all inhab- 
ited. And they make war upon each other, 
although they are very simple, and [they are] 
very beautifully forpied," 



74 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

Monday, October 15, Columbus, on arriving 
at the island for which he had set sail, went on to 
a cape, near which he anchored at about sunset. 
He gave the island the name of Santa Maria de 
la Concepcion.* 

" At about sunset I anchored near the said cape 
to know if there were gold there, for the men whom 
I had taken at the Island of San Salvador told me 
that there they wore very large rings of gold on 
their legs and arms. I think that all they said was 
for a trick, in order to make their escape. How- 
ever, I did not wish to pass by any island without 
taking possession of it. 

******** 

"And I anchored, and was there till today, 
Tuesday, when at the break of day I went ashore 
with the armed boats, and landed. 

"They [the inhabitants], who were many, as 
naked and in the same condition as those of San 
Salvador, let us land on the island, and gave us 
what we asked of them. 

* * * I. J gg|- Q^j|- f-Qj. j-j^g ship. And there 

was a large almadia which had come to board 

*This is supposed to be Caico del Norte. 



STRANGE experiences: 75 

the caravel Nina, and one of the men from the 
Island of San Salvador threw himself into the sea, 
took this boat, and made off; and the night 
before, at midnight, another jumped out. And 
the almadia went back so fast that there never 
was a boat which could come up with her, 
although we had a considerable advantage. It 
reached the shore, and they left the almadia, and 
some of my company landed after them, and they 
all fled like hens. 

"And the almadia, which they had left, we took 
to the caravel Nina, to which from another head- 
land there was coming another little almadia, with 
a man who came to barter a skein of cotton. And 
some of the sailors threw themselves into the sea, 
because he did not wish to enter the caravel, and 
took him. And I, who was on the stern of the 
ship, and saw it all, sent for him and gave him a 
red cap and some little green glass beads which I 
put on his arm, and two small bells which I put at 
his ears, and I had his almadia returned, * * 
* and sent him ashore. 

" And I set sail at once to oro to the other laro-e 
island which I saw at the west, and commanded 



T6 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

the other almadia to be set adrift, which the cara- 
vel Nina was towing astern. And then I saw on 
land, when the man landed, to whom I had given 
the above mentioned things (and I had not con- 
sented to take the skein of cotton, thoug-h he 
wished to give it to me), all the others went 
to him and thought it a great wonder, and it 
seemed to them that we were good people, and 
that the other man, who had fled, had done us 
some harm, and that therefore we were carrying 
him off. And this was why I treated the other 
man as I did, commanding him to be released, and 
gave him the said things, so that they might have 
this opinion of us, and so that another time, when 
your Highnesses send here again, they may be 
well disposed. And all that I gave him was not 
worth four maravedis." 

Columbus had set sail at ten o'clock for a 
"large island" he mentions, which he called 
Fernandina, where, from the tales of the Indian 
captives, he expected to find gold. Half way 
between this island and Santa Maria, he met with 
"a man alone in an almadia which was passing" 
[from one island to the other J, "and he was 



HIS KINDNESS TO A NATIVE. 77 

carrying- a little of their bread, as big as one's 
fist, and a calabash of water and a piece of red 
earth made into dust, and then kneaded, and 
some dry leaves, which must be a thing much 
valued among them, since at San Salvador they 
brought them to me as a present.^^' And he had 
a little basket of their sort, in which he had a 
string of little glass bells and two blancas, by 
which I knew that he came from the Island of San 
Salvador. * '^' * He came to the ship; I 
took him on board, for so he asked, and made 
him put his almadia in the ship, and keep all he 
was carrying. And I commanded to give him 
bread and honey to eat, and something to drink. 

"And thus I will take him over to Fernandina, 
and I will give him all his property so that he may 
give good accounts of us, so that, if it please our 
Lord, when your Highnesses send there, those 
who come may receive honor, and they may give 
us of all they have." 

Columbus continued sailing for the island he 
named Fernandina, now called Inagua Chica. 
There was a calm all clay and he did not arrive in 

*Was this perhaps tobacco ? See page 93. 



78 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

time to anchor safely before dark. He therefore 
waited till morning, and anchored near a town. 
Here the man had gone, who had been picked up 
the day before, and he had given such good 
accounts that all night long the ship had been 
boarded by almadias, bringing supplies. Colum- 
bus directed some trifle to be given to each of the 
islanders, and that they should be given " honey 
of sugar" to eat. He sent the ship's boat ashore 
for water and the inhabitants not only pointed it 
out but helped to put the water-casks on board. 

"This people," he says, "is like those of the 
aforesaid islands, and has the same speech and 
the same customs, except that these seem to me 
a somewhat more domestic race, and more intelli- 
ofent. * -^fr * And I saw also in this island 
cotton cloths made like mantles. * '^" * 

"It is a very green island and flat and very 
fertile, and I have no doubt that all the year 
through they sow panizo (panic-grass) and harvest 
it, and so with everything else. And I saw many 
trees, of very different form from ours, and many 
of them which had branches of many sorts, and all 
on one trunk. And one branch is of one sort and 



COLUMBUS ON THE LOOKOUT. 



79 




CHKISTOPHER COLUMBUS, ERECT ON HIS VESSEL, ASTRALABE IN HAND. 



80 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, 

one of another, and so different that it is the great- 
est wonder in the world. * * ''^* One branch 
has its leaves like canes, and another like the len- 
tisk ; and so on one tree five or six of these kinds ; 
and all so different. Nor are they grafted, for it 
might be said that grafting does it, but they grow 
on the mountains, nor do these people care for 
them. * * * 

" Here the fishes are so different from ours that 
it is wonderful. There are some like cocks of the 
finest colors in the world, blue, yellow, red and of 
all colors, and others painted in a thousand ways. 
And the colors are so fine that there is no man 
who does not wonder at them and take great 
pleasure in seeing them. Also, there are whales. 
As for wild creatures on shore, I saw none of any 
sort, except parrots and lizards ; a boy told me 
that he saw a great snake. Neither sheep nor 
goats nor any other animal did I see ; although I 
have been here a very short time, that is, half a 
day, but if there had been any I could not have 
failed to see some of them." * * * 

Wednesday, October 17. He left the town 
at noon and prepared to sail round the island. He 



BEAUTIES OF THE SCENERY. 81 

had meant to go by the south and southeast. But 
as Martin Alonzo Pinzon, captain of the Pinta, had 
heard, from one of the Indians he had on board, 
that it would be quicker to start by the northwest, 
and as the wind was favorable for this course, 
Columbus took it. He found a fine harbor two 
leagues further on, where he found some friendly 
Indians, and sent a party ashore for water. 
"During this time," he says, "I went [to look at] 
these trees, which were the most beautiful things 
to see which have been seen ; there was as much 
verdure in the same degree as in the month of 
May in Andalusia, and all the trees were as differ- 
ent from ours as the day from the night. And so 
[were] the fruits, and the herbs, and the stones 
and everything. The truth is that some trees had 
a resemblance to others which there are in Castile, 
but there was a very great difference. And other 
trees of other sorts were such that there is no one 
who could * * * liken them to others of 
Castile. * * * 

"The others who went for water told me how 
they had been in their houses, and that they were 
very well swept and clean, and their beds "and 



82 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

furniture [made] of things which are like nets of 
cotton."^' Their houses are all like pavilions, and 
very high and good chimneys.f 

" But I did not see, among many towns which I 
saw, any of more than twelve or fifteen houses. 
* * * And there they had dogs. * * * 
And there they found one man who had on his 
nose a piece of gold which was like half a castel- 
lano, on which there were cut letters.^ I blamed 
them for not bargaining for it, and giving as much 
as was asked, to see what it was, and whose coin 
it was ; and they answered me that they did not 
dare to barter it." 

He continued towards the northwest, then 
turned his course to the east-southeast, east and 
southeast. The weather being thick and heavy, 
and "threatening immediate rain. So all these 
days since I have been in these Indies it has 
rained little or much," 

Friday, October 19. Columbus, who had not 

* They are called Ilaniacas. 

\ Las Casas says they were not meant for smoke but as a crown, 
for they have no opening below for the smoke. 

:j; A castellano was a piece of gold money, weighing about one- 
sixth of an ounce. 



THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND. 83 

landed the day before, now sent two caravels, one 
to the east and southeast and the other to the 
south-southeast, while he himself, with the Santa 
Maria, the ship, as he calls it, went to the south- 
east. He ordered the caravels to keep their 
courses till noon, and then join him. This they 
did, at an island to the east, which he named 
Isabella, the Indians whom he had with him call- 
ing it Saomete. It has been supposed to be the 
island now called Inagua Grande. 

"All this coast," says the Admiral, "and the 
part of the island which I saw, is all nearly flat, 
and the island the most beautiful thing I ever 
saw, for if the others are very beautiful this one is 
more so." He anchored at a cape which was so 
beautiful that he named it Cabo Ferinoso, the 
Beautiful Cape, "so green and so beautiful," he 
says, "like all the other things and lands of these 
islands, that I do not know where to go first, nor 
can I weary my eyes with seeing such beautiful 
verdure and so different from ours. And I 
believe that there are in them many herbs and 
many trees, which are of great value in Spain for 
dyes [or tinctures] and for medicines of spfcery. 



84 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

But I do not know them, which I greatly regret. 
And as I came here to this cape there came such a 
good and sweet odor of flowers or trees from the 
land that it was the sweetest thing in the world." 

He heard that there was a king in the interior 
who wore clothes and much gold, and though, as 
he says, the Indians had so little gold that what- 
ever small quantity of it the king wore it would 
appear large to them, he decided to visit him the 
next day. He did not do so, however, as he 
found the water too shallow in his immediate 
neighborhood, and then had not enough wind to 
go on, except at night. 

Sunday morning, October 21, he anchored, 
apparently more to the west, and after having 
dined, landed. He found but one house, from 
which the inhabitants were absent; he directed 
that nothing in it should be touched. He speaks 
again of the great beauty of the island, even 
greater than that of the others he had seen. 
"The singing of the birds," he says, "seems as if 
a man would never seek to leave this place, and 
the flocks of parrots which darken the sun, and 
fowls and birds of so many kinds and so different 



ODORS STRANGE AND WONDERFUL. 85 

from ours that it is wonderful. And then there 
are trees of a thousand sorts, and all with fruit of 
their kinds. And all have such an odor that it is 
wonderful, so that I am the most afflicted man in 
the world not to know them." 

They killed a serpent in one of the lakes upon 
this island, which Las Casas says is the Guana, 
or what we call the Iguana. 

In seeking for good water, the Spaniards found 
a town, from which the inhabitants were going to 
fly. But some of them rallied, and one of them 
approached the visitors. Columbus gave him 
some little bells and glass beads, with which he 
was much pleased. The Admiral asked him for 
water, and they brought it gladly to the shore in 
calabashes. 

He still wished to see the king of whom the 
Indians had spoken, but meant afterward to go to 
" another very great island, which I believe must 
be Cipango, which they call Colba." This is 
probably a mistake in the manuscript for Cuba, 
which is what is meant. It continues, "and to 
that other island which they call Bosio" (probably 
Bohio) "and the others which are on the way, I 



86 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

will see these in passing. * * * But still, I am 
determined to go to the mainland and to the city 
of Quisay and to give your Highnesses' letters to 
the Grand Khan, and seek a reply and come 
back with it." 

He remained at this island during the twenty- 
second and twenty-third of October, waiting first 
for the king, who did not appear, and then for a 
favorable wind. "To sail round these islands," 
he says, "one needs many sorts of wind, and it 
does not blow as men would like." At midnight, 
between the twenty-third and twenty-fourth, he 
weighed anchor in order to start for Cuba. 

" I have heard these people say that it was very 
large and of great traffic," he says, "and that 
there were in it gold and spices, and great ships 
and merchants. And they showed me that I 
should go to it by the west-southwest, and I think 
so. For I think that if I may trust the signs which 
all the Indians of these islands have made me, and 
those whom I am carrying in the ships, for by 
the tongue I do not understand them, it (Cuba) is 
the Island of Cipango,''^' of which wonderful things 

*This was the name the old geographers gave to Japan 



STILL CHARMED BY THE SCENERY. 87 

are told, and on the globes which I have seen and 
in the painted maps, it is in this district," 

The next day they saw seven or eight islands, 
which are supposed to be the eastern and southern 
keys of the Grand Bank of Bahama. He anchored 
to the south of them on the twenty-sixth of Octo- 
ber, and on the next day sailed once more for 
Cuba. 

On Sunday, October 28, he arrived there, in 
what is now called the Puerto de Nipe ; he named 
it the Puerto de San Salvador, Here, as he 
went on, he was again charmed by the beautiful 
country. He found palms "of another sort," says 
Las Casas, "from those of Guinea, and from ours," 
He found the island the " most beautiful which 
eyes have seen, full of very good ports and deep 
rivers," and that apparently the sea is never rough 
there, as the grass grows down to the water's edge. 
This orreenness to the sea's edije is still observed 
there. "Up till that time," says Las Casas, "he 
had not experienced in all these islands that the 
sea was rough," He had occasion to learn about 
it later. He mentions also that the island is 
mountainous. 



CHAPTER V. 

LANDING ON CUBA THE CIGAR AND TOBACCO — CIPANGO 

AND THE GREAT KHAN FROM CUBA TO HAVTI ITS 

SHORES AND HARBORS. 

When Columbus landed, at some distance farther 
along the coast, he found the best houses he had 
yet seen, very large, like pavilions, and very neat 
within ; not in streets but set about here and there. 
They were all built of palm branches. Here were 
dogs which never barked (supposed to be the 
almiqui), wild birds tamed in the houses and 
" wonderful arrangements of nets,* and fish-hooks 
and fishing apparatus. There were also carved 
masks and other imafyes. Not a thino- was 
touched." The inhabitants had fied. 

He went on to the northwest, and saw a cape 
which he named Cabo de Palmas. The Indians 
on board the Pinta said that beyond this cape was 
a river, and that at four days' journey from this was 
what t hey called " Cuba." Now they had been 

* These were probably hammocks. 

88 



THE ISLAND OF CUBA. 



89 







90 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

coasting along the Island of Cuba for two or three 
days. But Martin Pinzon, the captain of the 
Pinta, understood this Cuba to be a city, and that 
this land was the mainland, running far to the 
north. Columbus until he died believed that it 
was the mainland. 

Martin Pinzon also understood that the king of 
that land was at war with the Grand Khan, whom 
they called Cami. The Admiral determined to go 
to the river the Indians mentioned, and to send to 
the king the letter of the sovereigns. He meant 
to send with it a sailor who had been to Guinea, 
and some of the Guanahani Indians, He was 
encouraged, probably, by the name of Carni, in 
thinking that he was really near the Grand Khan. 

He did not, however, send off these messengers 
at once, as the wind and the nature of the coast 
proved unfit for his going up the river the Indians 
had spoken of. He went back to the town where 
he had been two days before. 

Once more he found that the people had fled, 
but "after a good while a man appeared," and the 
Admiral sent ashore one of the Indians he had 
with him. This man shouted to the Indians on 



HE WINS THEIR CONFIDENCE. 91 

shore that they must not be afraid, as these were 
good people, and did harm to no man, nor did 
they belong to the Grand Khan, but they gave, of 
what they had, in many islands where they had 
been. He now jumped into the sea and swam 
ashore, and two of the inhabitants took him in 
their arms and brought him to a house where they 
asked him questions. When he had reassured 
them, they began to come out to the ships in their 
canoes, with " spun cotton and others of their little 
thines." But the Admiral commanded that noth- 
ing should be taken from them, so that they might 
know that he was seeking nothing but gold, or, 
as they called it, nucay. 

He saw no gold here, but one of them had a 
piece of wrought silver hanging to his nose. They 
made signs, that before three days many merchants 
would come from the inland country to trade with 
the Spaniards, and that they would bring news 
from the king, who, according to their signs, was 
lour days' journey away. " And it is certain " 
says the Admiral- '*that this is the mainland, and 
that I am before Zayto and Quinsay, a hundred 
leacj'ues more or less from both of them, and this 



92 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

is clearly shown by the tide, which comes In a 
different manner from that in which it has done 
up to this time ; and yesterday when I went to 
the northwest I found that it was cold." 

Always supposing that he was near Japan, 
which they called Cipango, Columbus continued 
to sail along the northern coast of Cuba and 
explored about half that shore. He then returned 
to the east, governed by the assurances of the 
natives that on an island named Babecfue he 
would find men who used hammers with which to 
beat gold into ingots. This gold, as he under- 
stood them, was collected on the shore at night, 
while the people lighted up the darkness with 
candles. 

At the point where ne turned back, he had 
hauled his ships up on the shore to repair them. 
From this point, on the second of November, he 
sent two officers inland, one of whom was a Jew, 
who knew Chaldee, Hebrew and a little Arabic, 
in the hope that they should find some one who 
could speak these languages. With them went 
one of the Guanahani Indians, and one from the 
neighborhood. 



THE CIGAR. 93 

They returned on the night between the fifth 
and sixth of November. Twelve leagues off they 
had found a village of about fifty large houses, 
made in the form of tents. This village had 
about a thousand inhabitants, according to the 
explorers. They had received the ambassadors 
with cordial kindness, believing that they had 
descended from heaven. 

They even took them in their arms and thus 
carried them to the finest house of all. They 
gave them seats, and then sat round them on the 
ground in a circle. They kissed their feet and 
hands, and touched them, to make sure whether 
they were really men of flesh and bone. 

It was on this expedition that the first observa- 
tion was made of that gift of America to the 
world, which has worked its way so deep and far 
into general use. They met men and women 
who "carried live coals, so as to draw into their 
mouths the smoke of burning herbs." This was 
the account of the first observers. But Las 
Casas says that "the dry herbs were wrapped in 
another leaf as dry." He says that "they lighted 
one end of the little stick thus formed, and sucked 



94 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

in or absorbed the smoke by the other, with 
which," he says, "they put their flesh to sleep, 
and it nearly intoxicates them, and thus they say 
that they feel no fatigue. These mosquetes, as 
we should call them, they call tobacos. I knew 
Spaniards on this Island of Hispaniola who were 
accustomed to take them, who, on being reproved 
for it as a vice, replied that it was not in their 
power (in their hand) to leave off taking them. 
I do not know what savour or profit they found in 
them." This is clearly a cigar. 

The third or fourth of November, then, 1892, 
with the addition of nine days to change the style 
from old to new, may be taken by lovers of 
tobacco as the fourth centennial of the day when 
Europeans first learned the use of the cigar. 

On the eleventh of November the repairs were 
completed. 

He says that the Sunday before, November 1 1 
it had seemed to him that it would be good to take 
some persons, from those of that river, to carry 
to the sovereigns, so that "they might learn our 
tongue, so as to know what there is in the country, 
and so that when they come back they may be 



NATIVE RELIGIOUS SUSCEPTIBILITY. 95 

tongues to the Christians, and receive our customs 
and the things of the faith. Because I saw and 
know," says the Admiral, " that this people has 
no religion (secta) nor are they idolaters, but very 
mild and without knowing what evil is, nor how to 
kill others, nor how to take them, and without 
arms, and so timorous that from one of our men 
ten of them fly, although they do sport with them, 
and ready to believe and knowing that there is a 
God in heaven, and sure that we have come from 
heaven ; and very ready at any prayer which we 
tell them to repeat, and they make the sign of the 
cross. 

"So your Highnesses should determine to make 
them Christians, for I believe that if they begin, in 
a short time they will have accomplished convert- 
ing to our holy faith a multitude of towns." 
" Without doubt there are in these lands the great- 
est quantities of gold, for not without cause do 
these Indians whom I am bringing say that there 
are places in these isles where they dig out gold 
and wear it on their necks, in their ears and on 
their arms and legs, and the bracelets are very 
thick. 



96 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 




THE VALLEY OF PAKADISE. 



COMMERCIAL PROSPECTS, 97 

" And also there are stones and precious pearls, 
and unnumbered spices. And in this Rio de 
Mares, from which I d^arted last night, without 
doubt there is the greatest quantity of mastic, and 
there might be more if more were desired. For 
the trees, if planted, take root, and there are many 
of them and very great and they have the leaf like 
a lentisk, and their fruit, except that the trees and 
the fruit are larger, is such as Pliny describes, and I 
have seen in the Island of Chios in the Archipelago. 

"And I had many of these trees tapped to see 
if they would send out resin, so as to draw it out. 
And as it rained all the time I was at the said river, 
I could not get any of it, except a very little 
which I am bringing to your Highnesses. And 
besides, it may be that it is not the time to tap 
them, for I believe that this should be done at the 
time when the trees begin to leave out from the 
winter and seek to send out their flowers, and 
now they have the fruit nearly ripe. 

"And also here there mieht be had a ereat 
store of cotton, and I believe that it might be 
sold very well here without taking it to Spain, 
in the great cities of the Great Khan, which will 



98 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

doubtless be discovered, and many others of 
other lords, who will then have to serve your 
Highnesses. And here will be given them other 
things from Spain, from the lands of the East, 
since these are ours in the West. 

"And here there is also aloes everywhere, 
although this is not a thing to make great account 
of, but the mastic should be well considered, 
because it is not found except in the said island of 
Chios, and I believe that they get from it quite 
50,000 ducats if I remember aright. And this is 
the best harbor which I have seen thus far — deep 
and easy of access, so that this would be a good 
place for a large town." 

The notes in Columbus's journals are of the 
more interest and value, because they show his 
impressions at the moment when he wrote. 
However mistaken those impressions, he never 
corrects them afterwards. Although, while he 
was in Cuba, he never found the Grand Khan, 
he never recalls the hopes which he has expressed. 

He had discovered the island on its northern 
side by sailing southwest from the Lucayos or 
Bahamas. From the eleventh of November until 



HE FINDS A CROSS. 99 

the sixth of December he was occupied in coasting- 
alono- the northern shore, eventually returnin^^ 
eastward, when he crossed the channel which 
parts Cuba from Hayti. 

The first course was east, a quarter southeast, 
and on the sixteenth, they entered Port-au-Prince, 
and took possession, raising a cross there. At 
Port-au-Prince, to his surprise, he found on a point 
of rock two large logs, mortised into each other 
in the shape of a cross, so "that you would have 
said a carpenter could not have proportioned 
them better." 

On the nineteenth the course was north-north- 
east ; on the twenty-first they took a course 
south, a quarter southwest, seeking in these chan- 
ges the island of " Babeque," which the Indians 
had spoken of as rich with gold. On the day last 
named Pinzon left the Admiral in the Pinta, and 
they did not meet again for more than a month. 

Columbus touched at various points on Cuba 
and the neighboring islands. He sought, without 
success, for pearls, and always pressed his inquiries 
for gold. He was determined to find the island of 
Bohio, greatly to the terror of the poor Indians, 



100 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

whom he had on board: they said that its natives 
had but one eye, in the middle of their foreheads, 
and that they were well armed and ate their 
prisoners. 

He landed in the bay of Moa, and then, keep- 
ing near the coast, sailed towards the Capo del 
Pico, now called Cape Vacz. At Puerto Santo 
he was detained some days by bad weather. On 
the fourth of December he continued his east- 
ward voyage, and on the next day saw far off 
the mountains of Hayti, which was the Bohio he 
sought for. 



CHAPTER VI. 

DISCOVERY OF HAYTI OR HISPANIOLA THE SEARCH FOR 

GOLD HOSPITALITY AND INTELLIGENCE OF THE 

NATIVES CHRISTMAS DAY A SHIPWRECK COLONY 

TO BE FOUNDED COLUMBUS SAILS EAST AND MEETS 

MARTIN PINZON ■ THE TWO VESSELS RETURN TO EUROPE 

STORM THE AZORES PORTUGAL HOME. 

On the sixth of December they crossed from 
the eastern cape of Cuba to the northwestern 
point of the island, which we call Hayti or 
San Domingo. He says he gave it this name 
because "the plains appeared to him almost 
exactly like those of Castile, but yet more 
beautiful." 

He coasted eastward alonof the northern side 
of the island, hoping that it might be the conti- 
nent, and always inquiring for gold when he 
landed ; but the Indians, as before, referred him to 
yet another land, still further south, which they 
still called Bohio, It was not surrounded by 
water, they said. The word "caniba," which is 

101 



102 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

the origin of our word *' cannibal," and refers to 
the fierce Caribs, came often into their talk. The 
sound of the syllable can made Columbus more 
sure that he was now approaching the dominions 
of the Grand Khan of eastern Asia, of whom 
Marco Polo had informed Europe so fully. 

On the twelfth of the month, after a landing in 
which a cross had been erected, three sailors went 
inland, pursuing the Indians. They captured a 
young woman whom they brought to the fleet. 
She wore a large ring of gold in her nose. She 
was able to understand the other Indians whom 
they had on board. Columbus dressed her, gave 
her some imitation pearls, rings and other finery, 
and then put her on shore with three Indians and 
three of his own men. 

The men returned the next day without going 
to the Indian village. Columbus then sent out 
nine men, with an Indian, who found a town of a 
thousand huts about four and a half leagues from 
the ship. They thought the population was three 
thousand. The village in Cuba is spoken of as 
having twenty people to a house. Here the 
houses were smaller or the count of the numbers 



NATIVES OF ST. DOMINGO. 103 

extravagant. The people approached the explor- 
ers carefully, and with tokens of respect. Soon 
they gained confidence and brought out food for 
diem : fish, and bread made from roots, "which 
tasted exactly as if it were made of chestnuts." 

In the midst of this festival, the woman, who 
had been sent back from the ship so graciously, 
appeared borne on the shoulders of men who 
were led by her husband. 

The Spaniards thought these natives of St. 
Domingo much whiter than those of the other 
islands. Columbus says that two of the women, 
if dressed in Castilian costume, would be counted 
to be Spaniards. He says that the heat of the 
country is intense, and that if these people lived 
in a cooler region they would be of lighter color. 

On the fourteenth of December he continued 
his voyage eastward, and on the fifteenth landed 
on the litde island north of Hayti, which he called 
Tortuga, or Turde island. At midnight on the 
sixteenth he sailed, and landed on Hispaniola 
again. Five hundred Indians met him, accompa- 
nied by their king, a fine young man of about 
twenty years of age. He had around him several 



104 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOFHER COLUMBUS. 

counselors, one of whom appeared to be his tutor. 
To the steady questions where gold could be found, 
the reply as steady was made that it was in " the 
Island of Babeque." This island, they said, was 
only two days off, and they pointed out the route. 
The interview ended in an offer by the king to the 
Admiral of all that he had. The explorers never 
found this mysterious Babeque, unless, as Bishop 
Las Casas guessed, Babeque and Jamaica be the 
same. 

The king visited Columbus on his ship in the 
evening, and Columbus entertained him with 
European food. With so cordial a beginning of 
intimacy, it was natural that the visitors should 
spend two or three days with these people. The 
king would not believe that any sovereigns of 
Castile could be more powerful than the men he 
saw. He and those around him all believed that 
they came direct from heaven. 

Columbus was always asking for gold. He 
gave strict orders that it should always be paid 
for, when it was taken. To the islanders it was 
merely a matter of ornament, and they gladly 
exchanged it for the glass beads, the rings or the 



PLENTY OF GOLD. 105 

bells, which seemed to them more ornamental. 
One of the caciques or chiefs, evidently a man of 
distinction and authority, had little bits of gold 
which he exchanged for pieces of glass. It proved 
that he had clipped them off from a larger piece, 
and he went back into his cabin, cut that to pieces, 
and then exchanged all those in trade for the 
white man's commodities. Well pleased with his 
bargain, he then told the Spaniards that he would 
go and get much more and would come and trade 
with them again. 

On the eighteenth of December, the wind not 
serving well, they waited the return of the chief 
whom they had first seen. In the afternoon he 
appeared, seated in a palanquin, which was carried 
by four men, and escorted by more than two 
hundred of his people. He was accompanied by 
a counselor and preceptor who did not leave him. 
He came on board the ship when Columbus was 
at table. He would not permit him to leave his 
place, and readily took a seat at his side, when it 
was offered. Columbus offered him European 
food and drink ; he tasted of each, and then 
gave what was offered to his attendants. The 



106 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

ceremonious Spaniards found a remarkable dig- 
nity in his air and gestures. After the repast, 
one of his servants brought a handsome belt, 
elegantly wrought, which he presented to Colum- 
bus, with two small pieces of gold, also delicately 
wrought. 

Columbus observed that this cacique looked 
with interest on the hangings of his ship-bed, and 
made a present of them to him, in return for his 
offering, with some amber beads from his own 
neck, some red shoes and a flask of orange flower 
water. 

On the nineteenth, after these agreeable hospi- 
talities, the squadron sailed again, and on the 
twentieth arrived at a harbor which Columbus 
pronounced the finest he had ever seen. The 
reception he met here and the impressions he 
formed of Hispaniola determined him to make a 
colony on that island. It may be said that on 
this determination the course of his after life 
turned. This harbor is now known as the Bay 
of Azul. 

The men, whom he sent on shore, found a large 
village not far from the shore, where they were 



NATIVE GENEROSITY. 107 

most cordially received. The natives begged the 
Europeans to stay with them, and as it proved, 
Columbus accepted the invitation for a part of his 
crew. On the first day three different chiefs came 
to visit him, in a friendly way, with their retinues. 
The next day more than a hundred and twenty 
canoes visited the ship, bringing with them such 
presents as the people thought would be accept- 
able. Among these were bread from the cassava 
root, fish, water in earthen jars, and the seeds of 
spices. These spices they would stir in with water 
to make a drink which they thought healthful. 

On the same day Columbus sent an embassy of 
six men to a large town in the interior. The 
chief by giving his hand "to the secretary" 
pledged himself for their safe return. 

The twenty-third was Sunday. It was spent as 
the day before had been, in mutual civilities. The 
natives would offer their presents, and say "take, 
take," in their own language. Five chiefs were 
among the visitors of the day. From their 
accounts Columbus was satisfied that there was 
much gold in the island, as indeed, to the misery 
and destruction of its inhabitants, there proved to 



108 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

be. He thoug^ht it was larger than Enofland, But 

o o o 

he was mistakeno In his journal of the next day 
he mentions Civao, a land to the west, where they 
told him that there was gold, and again he thought 
he was approaching Cipango, or Japan. 

The next day he left these hospitable people, 
raising anchor in the morning, and with a light 
land wind continued towards the west. At eleven 
in the evening Columbus retired to rest. While 
he slept, on Christmas Day, there occurred an 
accident which changed all plans for the expe- 
dition so far as any had been formed, and from 
which there followed the establishment of the 
ill-fated first colony. The evening was calm when 
Columbus himself retired to sleep, and the master 
of the vessel followed his example, entrusting the 
helm to one of the boys. Every person on the 
ship, excepting this boy, was asleep, and he seems 
to have been awake to little purpose. 

The young steersman let the ship drift upon a 
ridge of rock, although, as Columbus says, indig- 
nantly, there were breakers abundant to show 
the danger. So soon as she struck, the boy cried 
out, and Columbus was the first to wake. He 



THE SANTA MARIA AGROUND. 109 

says, by way of apology for himself, that for thirty- 
six hours he had not slept until now. The master 
of the ship followed him. But it was too late. 
The tide, such as there was, was ebbing, and the 
Santa Maria was hopelessly aground. Columbus 
ordered the masts cut away, but this did not relieve 
her. 

He sent out his boat with directions to carry aft 
an anchor and cable, but its crew escaped to the 
Nina with their tale of disaster. The Nina's 
people would not receive them, reproached them 
as traitors, and in their own vessel came to the 
scene of danger. Columbus was obliged to trans- 
fer to her the crew of the Santa Maria. 

So soon as it was day, their friendly ally, 
Guacanagari, came on board. With tears in his 
eyes, he made the kindest and most judicious 
offers of assistance. He saw Columbus's dejection, 
and tried to relieve him by expressions of his 
sympathy. He set aside on shore two large 
houses to receive the stores that were on the 
Santa Maria, and appointed as many large canoes 
as could be used to remove these stores to the 
land. He assured Columbus that not a bit of 



110 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

the cargo or stores should be lost, and this loyal 
promise was fulfilled to the letter. 

The weather continued favorable. The sea was 
so light that everything on board the Santa Maria 
was removed safely. Then it was that Columbus, 
tempted by the beauty of the place, by the friend- 
ship of the natives, and by the evident wishes of 
his men, determined to leave a colony, which 
should be supported by the stores of the Santa 
Maria, until the rest of the party could go back to 
Spain and bring or send reinforcements. The 
king was well pleased with this suggestion, and 
promised all assistance for the plan. A vault 
was dug and built, in which the stores could be 
placed, and on this a house was built for the 
home of the colonists, so far as they cared to live 
within doors. 

The chief sent a canoe in search of Martin 
Pinzon and the Pinta, to tell them of the disaster. 
But the messengers returned without finding them. 
At the camp, which was to be a city, all was 
industriously pressed, with the assistance of the 
friendly natives. Columbus, having no vessel but 
the little Nina left, determined to return to Europe 



PLANS AFTER THE SHIPWRECK. Ill 

with the news of his discovery, and to leave nearly 
forty men ashore. 

It would appear that the men, themselves, were 
eager to stay. The luxury of the climate and the 
friendly overtures of the people delighted them. 
They had no need to build substantial houses. 
So far as houses were needed, those of the 
natives were sufficient. All the preparations 
which Columbus thought necessary were made 
in the week between the twenty-sixth of Decem- 
ber and the second of January. On that day he 
expected to sail eastward, but unfavorable winds 
prevented. 

He landed his men again, and by the exhibition 
of a pretended battle with European arms, he 
showed the natives the military force of their new 
neighbors. He fired a shot from an arquebuse 
against the wreck of the Santa Maria, so that the 
Indians might see the power of his artillery. The 
Indian chief expressed his regret at the approach- 
ing departure, and the Spaniards thought that one 
of his courtiers said that the chief had ordered 
him to make a statue of pure gold as large as the 
Admiral. 



112 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

Coiumbus explained to the friendly chief that 
with such arms as the sovereigns of Castile com- 
manded they could readily destroy the dreaded 
Caribs. And he thought he had made such an 
impression that the islanders would be the firm 
friends of the colonists. 

" I have bidden them build a solid tower and 
defense, over a vault. Not that I think this 
necessary against the natives, for I am satisfied 
that with a handful of people I could conquer the 
whole island, were it necessary, although it is, as 
far as I can judge, larger than Portugal, and twice 
as thickly peopled." In this cheerful estimate of 
the people Columbus was wholly wrong, as the 
sad events proved before the year had gone by. 

He left thirty-nine men to be the garrison of 
this fort, and the colony which was to discover 
the mine of gold. In command he placed Diego 
da Arana, Pedro Gutierres and Rodrigo de 
Segovia. To us, who have more experience of 
colonies and colonists than he had had, it does 
not seem to promise well that Rodrigo was " the 
kinof's chamberlain and an officer of the first lord 
of the household." Of these three, Diego da 



HE STARTS HOMEWARD. 113 

Arana was to be the governor, and the other two 
his lieutenants. The rest were all sailors, but 
among them there were Columbus's secretary, an 
alguazil, or person commissioned in the civil 
service at home, an "arquebusier," who was also a 
good engineer, a tailor, a ship carpenter, a cooper 
and a physician. So the little colony had its share 
of artificers and men of practical skill. They all 
staid willingly, delighted with the prospects of 
their new home. 

On the third of January Columbus sailed for 
Europe in the little Nina. With her own crew 
and the addition she received from the Santa 
Maria, she must have been badly crowded. Fortu- 
nately for all parties, on Sunday, the third day 
of the voyage, while they were still in sight of 
land, the Pinta came in sight. Martin Pinzon 
came on board the Nina and offered excuses for 
his absence. Columbus was not really satisfied 
with them, but he affected to be, as this was no 
moment for a quarrel. He believed that Pinzon 
had left him, that, in the Pinta, he mi^rht be 
alone when he discovered the rich gold-bearing 
island of Babeque or Baneque. Although the 



114 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

determination was made to return, another week 
was spent in slow coasting, or in waiting for 
wind. It brought frequent opportunities for 
meeting the natives, in one of which they showed 
a desire to take some of their visitors captive. 
This would only have been a return for a cap- 
ture made by Pinzon of several of their number, 
whom Columbus, on his meeting Pinzon, had 
freed. In this encounter two of the Indians were 
wounded, one by a sword, one by an arrow. It 
would seem that he did not show them the power 
of firearms. 

This was in the Bay of Samana, which Colum- 
bus called "The Bay of Arrows," from the skir- 
mish or quarrel which took place there. They 
then sailed sixty-four miles east, a quarter north- 
east, and thought they saw the land of the 
Caribs, which he was seeking. But here, at length, 
his authority over his crew failed. The men were 
eager to go home ; — did not, perhaps, like the idea 
of fight with the man-eating Caribs. There was a 
good western wind, and on the evening of the 
sixteenth of January Columbus gave way and 
they bore away for home. 



HE ENCOUNTERS A TEMPEST. 115 

Columbus had satisfied himself in this week 
that there were many islands east of him which 
he had not hit upon, and that to the easternmost 
of these, from the Canaries, the distance would 
prove not more than four hundred leagues. In 
this supposition he was wholly wrong, though a 
chain of islands does extend to the soudieast. 

He seems to have observed the singular regu- 
larity by which the trade winds bore him steadily 
westward as he came over. He had no wish to 
visit the Canary Islands again, and with more 
wisdom than could have been expected, from his 
slight knowledge of the Atlantic winds, he bore 
north. Until the fourteenth of February the voy- 
age was prosperous and uneventful. One day the 
captive Indians amused the sailors by swimming. 
There is frequent mention of the green growth of 
the Sargasso sea. But on the fourteenth all this 
changed. The simple journal thus describes the 
terrible tempest which endangered the two ves- 
sels, and seemed, at the moment, to cut off the 
hope of their return to Europe. 

"Monday, February 14. — This night the ^vind 
increased still more; the waves were terrible. 



116 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

Coming from two opposite directions, they crossed 
each other, and stopped the progress of the ves- 
sel, which could neither proceed nor get out from 
among them ; and as they began continually to 
break over the ship, the Admiral caused the main- 
sail to be lowered. She proceeded thus during 
three hours, and made twenty miles. The sea 
became heavier and heavier, and the wind more 
and more violent. Seeing the danger imminent, 
he allowed himself to drift in whatever direction 
the wind took him, because he could do nothing 
else. Then the Pinta, of which Martin Alonzo 
Pinzon was the commander, began to drift also ; 
but she disappeared very soon, although all 
through the night the Admiral made signals with 
lights to her, and she answered as long as she 
could, till she was prevented, probably by the 
force of the tempest, and by her deviation from 
the course which the Admiral followed." Colum- 
bus did not see the Pinta again until she arrived 
at Palos. He was himself driven fifty-four miles 
towards the northeast. 

The journal continues. "After sunrise the 
strength of the wind increased, and the sea 



THE ADMIRAL AND SAILORS DRAW LOTS. 117 

became still more terrible. The Admiral all this 
time kept his mainsail lowered, so that the vessel 
might rise from among the waves which washed 
over it, and which threatened to sink it. The 
Admiral followed, at first, the direction of east- 
northeast, and afterwards due northeast. He 
sailed about six hours in this direction, and thus 
made seven leagues and a half. He gave orders 
that every sailor should draw lots as to who should 
make a pilgrimage to Santa Maria of Guadeloupe, 
to carry her a five-pound wax candle. And each 
one took a vow that he to whom the lot fell should 
make the pilgrimage. 

"For this purpose, he gave orders to take as 
many dry peas as there were persons in the ship, 
and to cut, with a knife, a cross upon one of them, 
and to put them all into a cap, and to shake them 
up well. The first who put his hand in was the 
Admiral. He drew out the dry pea marked with 
the cross ; so it was upon him that the lot fell, and 
he regarded himself, after that, as a pilgrim, 
obliged to carry into effect the vow which he had 
thus taken. They drew lots a second time, to 
select a person to go as pilgrim to Our Lady of 



118 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

Lorette, which is within the boundaries of Ancona, 
making a part of the States of the Church : it is a 
place where the Holy Virgin has worked and con- 
tinues to work many and great miracles. The lot 
having fallen this time upon a sailor of the harbor 
of Santa Maria, named Pedro de Villa, the Admi- 
ral promised to give him all the money necessary 
for the expenses. He decided that a third pil- 
grim should be sent to watch one night at Santa 
Clara of Moguer, and to have a mass said there. 
For this purpose, they again shook up the dry 
peas, not forgetting that one which was marked 
with the cross, and the lot fell once again to the 
Admiral himself. He then took, as did all his 
crew, the vow that, on the first shore which they 
might reach, they would go in their shirts, in a 
procession, to make a prayer in some church in 
invocation of Our Lady." 

"Besides the general vows, or those taken by all 
in common, each man made his own special vow, 
because nobody expected to escape. The storm 
which they experienced was so terrible, that all 
regarded themselves as lost ; what increased the 
danger was the circumstance that the vessel 



HE HOPES FOR GOD's HELP. 119 

lacked ballast, because the consumption of food, 
water and wine had greatly diminished her load. 
The hope of the continuance of weather as fine as 
that which they had experienced in all the islands, 
was the reason why the Admiral had not provided 
his vessel with the proper amount of ballast. 
Moreover, his plan had been to ballast it in the 
Women's Island, whither he had from the first 
determined to go. The remedy which the Admi- 
ral employed was to fill with sea water, as soon 
as possible, all the empty barrels which had prev- 
iously held either wine or fresh water. In this 
way the difficulty was remedied. 

"The Admiral tells here the reasons for fearing 
that our Saviour would allow him to become the 
victim of this tempest, and other reasons which 
made him hope that God would come to his assist- 
ance, and cause him to arrive safe and sound, so 
that intelliofence such as that which he was con- 
veying to the king and queen would not perish 
with him. The strong desire which he had to be 
the bearer of intelligence so important, and to 
prove the truth of all which he had said, and that 
all which he had tried to discover had really been 



120 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

discovered, seemed to contribute precisely to 
inspire him with the greatest fear that he could 
not succeed. He confessed, himself, that every 
mosquito that passed before his eyes was enough 
to annoy and trouble him. He attributed this to 
his little faith, and his lack of confidence in Divine 
Providence. On the other hand, he was re-ani- 
mated by the favors which God had shown him in 
granting to him so great a triumph as that which 
he had achieved, in all his discoveries, in fulfilling 
all his wishes, and in granting that, after having 
experienced in Castile so many rebuffs and dis- 
appointments, all his hopes should at last be more 
than surpassed. In one word, as the sovereign 
master of the universe had, in the outset, distin- 
guished him in granting all his requests, before 
he had carried out his expedition for God's great- 
est glory, and before it had succeeded, he was 
compelled to believe now that God would preserve 
him to complete the work which he had begun." 
Such is Las Casas's abridgment of Columbus's 
words. 

"For which reasons he said he oueht to have 
had no fear of the tempest that was raging. But 



HIS GREAT ANXIETY FOR HIS BOYS. 121 

his weakness and anoruish did not leave him a 
moment's calm. He also said that his greatest 
grief was the thought of leaving his two boys 
orphans. They were at Cordova, at their studies. 
What would become of them in a strange land, 
without father or mother? for the king and queen, 
being ignorant of the services he had rendered 
them in this voyage, and of the good news which 
he was bringing to them, would not be bound by 
any consideration to serve as their protectors. 

"Full of this thought, he sought, even in the 
storm, some means of apprising their highnesses 
of the victory which the Lord had granted him, in 
permitting him to discover in the Indies all which 
he had sought in his voyage, and to let them know 
that these coasts were free from storms, which is 
proved, he said, by the growth of herbage and trees 
even to the edge of the sea. With this purpose, 
that, if he perished in this tempest, the king and 
queen might have some news of his voyage, he 
took a parchment and wrote on it all that he could 
of his discoveries, and urgently begged that who- 
ever found it would carry it to the king and queen. 
He rolled up this parchment in a piece of waxed 



122 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

linen, closed this parcel tightly, and tied it up 
securely ; he had brought to him a large wooden 
barrel, within which he placed it, without anybody's 
knowing what it was. Everybody thought the 
proceeding was some act of devotion. He then 
caused it to be thrown into the sea."* 

The sudden and heavy showers, and the squalls 
which followed some time afterwards, changed the 
wind, which turned to the west. They had the 
wind thus abaft, and he sailed thus during five hours 
with the foresail only, having always the troubled 
sea, and made at once two leagues and a half 
towards the northeast. He had lowered the main 
topmast lest a wave might carry it away. 

With a" heavy wind astern, so that the sea fre- 
quently broke over the little Nina, she made east- 
ward rapidly, and at daybreak on 'the fifteenth 
they saw land. The Admiral knew that he had 
made the Azores, he had been steadily directing 
the course that way ; some of the seamen thought 

* Within a few months, in the summer of i8go, a well known 
English publisher has issued an interesting and ingenious edition, of 
what pretended to be a fac simile oi this document. The reader is 
asked to believe that the lost barrel has just now been found on the 
western coast of England. But publishers and purchasers know alike 
that this is only an amusing suggestion of what might have been 



HE LANDS AT THE AZORES. 123 

they were at Madeira, and some hopeful ones 
thought they saw the rock of Cintra in Portugal. 
Columbus did not land till the eighteenth, when 
he sent some men on shore, upon the island of 
Santa Maria. His news of discovery was at first 
received with enthusiasm. 

But there followed a period of disagreeable nego- 
tiation with Castaneda, the governor of the Azores. 
Pretending great courtesy and hospitality, but 
really acting upon the orders of the king of Por- 
tugal, he did his best to disable Columbus and 
even seized some of his crew and kept them 
prisoners for some days. When Columbus once 
had them on board again, he gave up his plans for 
taking ballast and water on these inhospitable 
islands, and sailed for Europe. 

He had again a stormy passage. Again they 
were in imminent danger. "But God was good 
enough to save him. He caused the crew to 
draw lots to send to Notre Dame de la Cintra, 
at the island of Huelva, a pilgrim who should 
come there in his shirt. The lot fell upon himself. 
All the crew, including the Admiral, vowed to 
fast on bread and water on the first Saturday 



124 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

which should come after the arrival of the vessel. 
He had proceeded sixty miles before the sails were 
torn ; then they went under masts and shrouds on 
account of the unusual strength of the wind, and 
the roughness of the sea, which pressed them 
almost on all sides. They saw indications of the 
nearness of the land ; they were in fact, very near 
Lisbon." 

At Lisbon, after a reception which was at first 
cordial, the Portuguese officers showed an inhos- 
pitality like that of Castaneda at the Azores. But 
the king himself showed more dignity and courtesy. 
He received the storm-tossed Admiral with dis- 
tinction, and permitted him to refit his shattered 
vessel with all he needed. Columbus took this 
occasion to write to his own sovereigns. 

On the thirteenth he sailed again, and on the 
fifteenth entered the bay and harbor of Palos, 
which he had left six months and a half before. 
He had sailed on Friday. He had discovered 
America on Friday. And on Friday he safely 
returned to his home. 

His journal of the voyage ends with these words : 
" I see by this voyage that God has wonderfully 



HIS FAITH AND HOPES. 12^ 

proved what I say, as anybody may convince him- 
self, by reading this narrative, by the signal 
wonders which he has worked duringr the course 
of my voyage, and in favor of myself, who have 
been for so long a time at the court of your High 
nesses in opposition and contrary to the opinions 
of so many distinguished personages of your house- 
hold, who all opposed me, treating my project as 
a dream, and my undertaking as a chimera. And 
I hope still, nevertheless, in our Lord, this voyage 
will bring the greatest honor to Christianity, 
although it has been performed with so much 
ease." 



CHAPTER VII. 

COLUMBUS IS CALLED TO MEET THE KING AND QUEEN HIS 

MAGNIFICENT RECEPTION NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE 

POPE AND WITH THE KING OF PORTUGAL SECOND 

EXPEDITION ORDERED FONSECA THE PREPARATIONS 

AT CADIZ. 

The letter which Columbus sent from Lisbon to 
the king and queen was everywhere published. 
It excited the enthusiasm first of Spain and then of 
the world. This letter found in the earlier editions 
is now one of the most choice curiosities of 
libraries. Well it may be, for it is the first public 
announcement of the greatest event of modern 
history. 

Ferdinand and Isabella directed him to wait upon 
them at once at court. It happened that they were 
then residing at Barcelona, on the eastern coast of 
Spain, so that the journey required to fulfill their 
wishes carried him quite across the kingdom. It 
was a journey of triumph. The people came 
together in throngs to meet this peaceful conqueror 

126 



HIS RECEPTION AT BARCELONA. 127 

who broucrht with him such amazing^ illustrations 
of his discovery. 

The letter bearing instructions for him to pro- 
ceed to Barcelona was addressed "To Don 
Christopher Columbus, our Admiral of the Ocean 
Sea, Viceroy and Governor of the islands dis- 
covered in the Indies," So far was he now raised 
above the rank of a poor adventurer, who had for 
seven years attended the court in its movements, 
seeking an opportunity to explain his proposals. 

As he approached Barcelona he was met by a 
large company of people, including many persons 
of rank. A little procession was formed of the 
party of the Admiral. Six Indians of the islands 
who had survived the voyage, led the way. They 
were painted according to their custom in various 
colors, and ornamented with the fatal gold of their 
countries, which had given to the discovery such 
interest in the eyes of those who looked on. 

Columbus had brought ten Indians away with 
him, but one had died on the voyage and he had 
left three sick at Palos. Those whom he brought 
to Barcelona, were baptized in presence of the 
king and queen. 



128 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

After the Indians, were brought many curious 
objects which had come from the islands, such as 
stuffed birds and beasts and living paroquets, 
which perhaps spoke in the language of their own 
country, and rare plants, so different from those of 
Spain. Ornaments of gold were displayed, which 
would give the people some idea of the wealth of 
the islands. Last of all came Columbus, elegantly 
mounted and surrounded by a brilliant cavalcade 
of young Spaniards. The crowd of wondering 
people pressed around them. Balconies and 
windows were crowded with women lookino- on. 
Even the roofs were crowded with spectators. 

The king and queen awaited Columbus in a 
large hall, where they were seated on a rich dais 
covered with gold brocade. It was in the palace 
known as the " Casa de la Deputacion" which the 
kings of Aragon made their residence when they 
were in Barcelona. A body of the most distin- 
guished lords and ladies of Spain were in atten- 
dance. As Columbus entered the hall the king 
and queen arose. He fell on his knee that he 
might kiss their hands but they bade him rise and 
then sit and give an account of his voyage. 



SOLEMN PAGEANT IN BARCELONA. 129 

Columbus spoke with dignity and simplicity 
which commanded respect, while all listened with 
sympathy. He showed some of the treasures he 
had brought, and spoke with certainty of the dis- 
coveries which had been made, as only precursors 
of those yet to come. When his short narrative 
was ended, all the company knelt and united in 
chanting the "Te Deum," "We Praise Thee, O 
God." Las Casas, describing the joy and hope of 
that occasion says, " it seems as if they had a 
foretaste of the joys of paradise." 

It would seem as if those whose duty it is to 
prepare fit celebrations of the periods of the great 
discovery, could hardly do better than to produce 
on the twenty-fourth of April, 1893, ^ reproduction 
of the solemn pageant in which, in Barcelona, four 
centuries before, the Spanish court commemorated 
the great discovery. 

From this time, for several weeks, a series of 
pageants and festivities surrounded him. At no 
other period of his life were such honors paid to 
him. It was at one of the banquets, at which he 
was present, that the incident of the egg, so often 
cold in connection with the great discovery, took 



130 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

place. A flippant courtier — of that large class of 
people who stay at home when great deeds are 
done, and afterwards depreciate the doers of 
them — had the impertinence to ask Columbus, 
if the adventure so much praised was not, after 
all, a very simple matter. He probably said "a 
short voyage of four or five weeks ; was it anything 
more?" Columbus replied by giving him an egg 
which was on the table, and asking him if he could 
stand it on one end. He said he could not, and 
the other guests said that they could not. Colum- 
bus tapped it on the table so as to break the end 
of the shell, and the egg stood erect. "It is easy 
enough," he said, "when any one has shown you 
how," 

It is well to remember, that if after years 
showed that the ruler of Spain wearied in his grati- 
tude, Columbus was, at the time, welcomed with 
the enthusiasm which he deserved. From the very 
grains of gold brought home in this first triumph, 
the queen, Isabella, had the golden illumination 
wrought of a most beautiful missal-book. 

Distinguished artists decorated the book, and 
the portraits of sovereigns then on the throne 



DIRECTIONS FOR A SECOND EXPEDITION. 131 

appear as the representations of King David, 
King Solomon, the Queen of Sheba and other 
royal personages. This book she gave after- 
wards to her grandson, Charles V, of whom it has 
been said that perhaps no man in modern times 
has done the world more harm. 

This precious book, bearing on its gilded leaves 
the first fruits of America, is now preserved in 
the Royal Library at Madrid. 

The time was not occupied merely in shows 
and banquets. There was no difficulty now, 
about funds for a second expedition. Directions 
were given that it might be set forward as quickly 
as possible, and on an imposing scale. For it 
was feared at court that King John of Portugal, 
the successful rival of Spain, thus far, in maritime 
adventure, might anticipate further discovery. 
The sovereigns at once sent an embassy to the 
pope, not simply to announce the discovery, but 
to obtain from him a decree confirming similar 
discoveries in the same direction. There was at 
least one precedent for such action. A former 
pope had granted to Portugal all the lands it 
might discover in Africa, south of Cape Bojador, 



132 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 




KING FERDINAND, 



QUEEN ISABELLA. 



133 




gUEEN ISABELLA. 



134 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

and the Spanish crown had assented by treaty to 
this arrangement. Ferdinand and Isabella could 
now refer to this precedent, in asking for a grant 
to them of their discoveries on the western side 
of the Atlantic. The pope now reigning was 
Alexander II. He had not long filled the papal 
chair. He was an ambitious and prudent sove- 
reign — a native of Spain — and, although he would 
gladly have pleased the king of Portugal, he was 
quite unwilling to displease the Spanish sove- 
reigns. The Roman court received with respect 
the request made to them. The pope expressed 
his joy at the hopes thrown out for the conversion 
of the heathen, which the Spanish sovereigns had 
expressed, as Columbus had always done. And 
so prompt were the Spanish requests, and so 
ready the pope's answer, that as early as May 3, 
1493, a papal bull was issued to meet the wishes 
of Spain. 

This bull determined for Spain and for Portu- 
gal, that all discoveries made west of a meridian 
line one hundred leagues west of the Azores 
should belong to Spain. All discoveries east 
of that line should belongf to Portuoral. No 



BOUNDARIES SETTLED. 135 

reference was made to other maritime powers, and 
it does not seem to have been supposed that other 
states had any rights in such matters. The hne 
thus arranged for the two nations was changed by 
their own agreement, in 1494, for a north and 
south Hne three hundred and fifty leagues west of 
the Cape de Verde Islands. The difference between 
the two lines was not supposed to be important. 

The decision thus made was long respected. 
Under a mistaken impression as to the longitude 
of the Philippine Islands in the East Indies, Spain 
has held those islands, under this line of division, 
ever since their discovery by Magellan. She con- 
sidered herself entitled to all the islands and lands 
between the meridian thus drawn in the Atlantic 
and the similar meridian one hundred and eighty 
degrees away, on exactly the other side of the 
world. 

Under the same line of division, Portugal held, 
for three centuries and more, Brazil, which pro- 
jects so far eastward into the Atlantic as to cross 
this line of division. 

Fearful, all the time, that neither the pope's 
decree, nor any diplomacy would prevent the 



136 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

king of Portugal from attempting to seize lands 
at the west, the Spanish court pressed with eager- 
ness arrangements for a second expedition. It 
was to be on a large and generous scale and to 
take out a thousand men. For this was the first 
plan, though the number afterwards was increased 
to fifteen hundred. To give efficiency to all the 
measures of colonization, what we should call a 
new department of administration was formed, 
and at the head of it was placed Juan Rodriguez 
de Fonseca. 

Fonseca held this high and responsible position 
for thirty years. He early conceived a great 
dislike of Columbus, who, in some transactions 
before this expedition sailed, appealed to the 
sovereigns to set aside a decision of Fonseca's, 
and succeeded. For all the period while he man- 
aged the Indian affairs of Spain, Fonseca kept his 
own interests in sight more closely than those of 
Spain or of the colonists; and not Columbus only, 
but every other official of Spain in the West 
Indies, had reason to regret the appointment. 

The king of Portugal and the sovereigns of Spain 
began complicated and suspicious negotiations 



GREAT ACTIVITY AT CADIZ. 137 

with each other regarding the new discoveries. 
Eventually, as has been said, they acceded to the 
pope's proposal and decree. But, atfirst, distrusting 
each other, and concealing their real purposes, in 
the worst style of the diplomacy of that time, they 
attempted treaties for the adjustment between 
themselves of the right to lands not yet discovered 
by either. Of these negotiations, the important 
result was that which has been named, — the change 
of the meridian of division from that proposed by 
the pope. It is curious now to see that the king 
of Portugal proposed a line of division, which 
would run east and west, so that Spain should 
have the new territories north of the latitude 
of the Grand Canary, and Portugal all to the 
south. 

In the midst of negotiation, the king and queen 
and Columbus knew that whoever was first on the 
ground of discovery would have the great advan- 
tage. There was a rumor in Spain that Portugal 
had already sent out vessels to the west. Every- 
thing was pressed with alacrity at Cadiz. The 
expedition was to be under Columbus's absolute 
command. Seamen of reputation were engaged 



138 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

to serve under him. Seventeen vessels were to 
take out a colony. Horses as well as cattle and 
other domestic animals were provided. Seeds 
and plants of different kinds were sent out, and 
to this first colonization by Spain, America owes 
the sugar-cane, and perhaps some other of her 
tropical productions. 

Columbus remained in Barcelona until the 
twenty-third of May. But before that time, the 
important orders for the expedition had been 
given. He then went to Cadiz himself, and gave 
his personal attention to the preparations. 
Applications were eagerly pressed, from all quar- 
ters, for permission to go. Young men of high 
family were eager to try the great adventure. It 
was necessary to enlarge the number from that 
at first proposed. The increase of expense, 
ordered as the plans enlarged, did not please 
Fonseca. To quarrels between him and Colum- 
bus at this time have been referred the persecu- 
tions which Columbus afterwards suffered. In 
this case the king sustained Columbus in all his 
requisitions, and Fonseca was obliged to answer 
them. 



SECOND EXPEDITION READY. 139 

So rapidly were all these preparations made, 
that, in a little more than a year from the sailing 
of the first expedition, the second, on a scale so 
much larger, was ready for sea. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE SECOND EXPEDITION SAILS FROM CADIZ TOUCHES 

AT CANARY ISLANDS DISCOVERY OF DOMINICA AND 

GUADELOUPE SKIRMISHES WITH THE CARIES 

PORTO RICO DISCOVERED HISPANIOLA THE FATE 

OF THE COLONY AT LA NAVIDAD. 

There is not in history a sharper contrast, or 
one more dramatic, than that between the first 
voyage of Columbus and the second. In the 
first voyage, three Kttle ships left the port of Palos, 
most of the men of their crews unwilling, after 
infinite difficulty in preparation, and in the midst 
of the fears of all who stayed, behind. 

In the second voyage, a magnificent fleet, equip- 
ped with all that the royal service could command, 
crowded with easier adventurers who are excited 
by expectations of romance and of success, goes 
on the very same adventure. 

In the first voyage, Columbus has but just 
turned the corner after the struggles and failures 
of eight years. He is a penniless adventurer who 

140 



THE EMBARKATION. 



141 




THE EMBARKATION. 

(From an old piint.) 



142 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

has Staked all his reputation on a scheme in which 
he has hardly any support. In the second case, 
Columbus is the governor-general, for aught he 
knows, of half the world, of all the countries he is 
to discover ; and he knows enough, and all men 
around him know enough, to see that his domain 
may be a principality indeed. 

Success brings with it its disadvantages. The 
world has learned since, if it did not know it then, 
that one hundred and fifty sailors, used to the 
hard work and deprivations of a seafaring life, 
would be a much more efficient force for purposes 
of discovery, than a thousand and more courtiers 
who have left the presence of the king and queen 
in the hope of personal advancement or of roman- 
tic adventure. Those dainty people, who would 
have been soldiers if there were no gunpowder, 
are not men to found states ; and the men who 
have lived in the ante-chambers of courts are not 
people who co-operate sympathetically with an 
experienced man of affairs like Columbus. 

From this time forward this is to be but a sad 
history, and the sadness, nay, the cruelty of the 
story, results largely from the composition of the 



I 



HE HAD ENDLESS TROUBLE. 143 

body of men whom Columbus took with him on 
this occasion. It is no longer coopers and black- 
smiths and boatswains and sailmakers who sur- 
round him. These were officers of court, whose 
titles even cannot be translated into modern lan- 
guage, so artificial were their habits and so conven- 
tional the duties to which they had been accus- 
tomed. Such men it was, who made poor Colum- 
bus endless trouble. Such men it was, who, at 
the last, dragged him down from his noble posi- 
tion, so that he died unhonored, dispirited and 
poor. To the same misfortune, probably, do we 
owe it that, for a history of this voyage, we have 
no longer authority so charming as the simple, 
gossipy journal which Columbus kept through the 
first voyage, of which the greater part has happily 
been preserved. It may be that he was too much 
pressed by his varied duties to keep up such a 
journal. For it is alas! an unfortunate condition of 
human life, that men are most apt to write journals 
when they have nothing to tell, and that in the 
midst of high activity, the record of that activity 
is not made by the actor. In the present case, 
a certain Doctor Chanca, a native of Seville, had 



144 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

been taken on board Columbus's ship, perhaps 
with the wish that he should be the historian of 
the expedition. It may be that in the fact that his 
journal was sent home is the reason why the 
Admiral's, if he kept one, has never been pre- 
served. Doctor Chanca's narrative is our prin- 
cipal contemporary account of the voyao-e. From 
later authorities much can be added to it, but all 
of them put together are not, for the purposes of 
history, equal to the simple contemporaneous 
statement which we could have had, had Colum- 
bus's own journal been preserved. 

The great fleet sailed from Cadiz on the twenty- 
fifth day of September, in the year 1493, rather 
more than thirteen months after the sailing of the 
little fleet from Palos of the year before. They 
touched at the Grand Canary as before, but at 
this time their vessels were in eood condition and 
there was no dissatisfaction amono- the crews. 
From this time the voyage across the ocean was 
short. On the third day of November, " the 
Sunday after All Saints Day had dawned, a pilot 
on the ship cried out to the captain that he saw 
land. So great was the joy among the people. 



I 



JOY AT SIGHT OF LAND. 145 

that it was marvellous to hear the shouts of 
pleasure on all hands. And for this there was 
much reason because the people were so much 
fatigued by the hard life and by the water which 
they drank that they all hoped for land with much 
desire." 

The reader will see that this is the ejaculation of 
a tired landsman ; one might say, of a tired 
scholar, who was glad that even the short voyage 
was at an end. Some of the pilots supposed that 
the distance which they had run was eight hundred 
leagues from Ferro ; others thought it was seven 
hundred and eighty. As the light increased, there 
were two islands in sight ; the first was mountain- 
ous, being the island of " Dominica," which still 
retains that name, of the Sunday when it was 
discovered ; the other, the island of Maria Galante, 
is more level, but like the first, as it is described 
by Dr. Chanca, it was well wooded. The island 
received its name from the ship that Columbus 
commanded. In all, they discovered six islands 
on this day. 

Finding no harbor which satisfied him in Domi- 
nica, Columbus landed on the island of Maria 

10 



146 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 




m^iiimWsw 



BEAUTIES OF "MARIA GALANTE." 147 

Galante, and took possession of It in the name of 
the king and queen. Dr. Chanca expresses the 
amazement which everyone had felt on the other 
voyage, at the immense variety of trees, of fruits 
and of flowers, which to this hour is the joy of the 
traveller in the West Indies. 

"In this island was such thickness of forest 
that it was wonderful, and such a variety of trees, 
unknown to anyone, that it was terrible, some 
with fruit, some with flowers, so that everything 
was green. * * * There were wild fruits of 
different sorts, which some not very wise men 
tried, and, on merely tasting them, touching them 
with their tongues, their faces swelled and they 
had such great burning and pain that they seemed 
to rage (or to have hydrophobia). They were 
cured with cold things." This fruit is supposed 
to have been the manchireel, which is known to 
produce such effects. 

They found no inhabitants on this island and 
went on to another, now called Guadeloupe. 
It received this name from its resemblance to a 
province of the same name in Spain. They drew 
near a mountain upon it which "seemed "to be 



148 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

trying to reach the sky," upon which was a beau- 
tiful waterfall, so white with foam that at a distance 
some of the sailors thought it was not water, but 
white rocks. The Admiral sent a light caravel to 
coast along and find harbor. This vessel discov- 
ered some houses, and the captain went ashore and 
found the inhabitants in them. They fled at once, 
and he entered the houses. There he found that 
they had taken nothing away. There was much 
cotton, "spun and to be spun," and other goods 
of theirs, and he took a little of everything, among 
other things, two parrots, larger and different 
from what had been seen before. He also took 
four or five bones of the legs and arms of men. 
This last discovery made the Spaniards suppose 
that these islands were those of Caribs, inhabited 
by the cannibals of whom they had heard in the 
first voyage. 

They went on along the coast, passing by some 
little villages, from which the inhabitants fled, "as 
soon as they saw the sails." The Admiral decided 
to send ashore to make investigations, and next 
morning "certain captains " landed. At dinner- 
time some of them returned, bringing with them 



EXPERIENCES ON "GUADELOUPE." 149 

a boy of fourteen, who said that he was one of the 
captives of the people of the island. The others 
divided, and one party "took a little boy and 
brought him on board." Another party took a 
number of women, some of them natives of the 
island, and others captives, who came of their own 
accord. One captain, Diego Marquez, with his 
men, went off from the others and lost his way 
with his party. After four days he came out on 
the coast, and by following that, he succeeded in 
coming to the fleet. Their friends supposed them 
to have been killed and eaten by the Caribs, as, 
since some of them were pilots and able to set 
their course by the pole-star, it seemed impossible 
that they should lose themselves. 

During the first day Columbus spent here, 
many men and women came to the water's edge, 
"looking at the fleet and wondering at such a 
new thing ; and when any boat came ashore to 
talk with them, saying, ' tayno, tayno,' which 
means good. But they were all ready to run 
when they seemed in danger, so that of the men 
only two could be taken by force or free-will. 
There were taken more than twenty women of 



150 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

the captives, and of their free-will came other 
women, born in other islands, who were stolen away 
and taken by force. Certain captive boys came 
to us. In this harbor we were eight days on 
account of the loss of the said captain." 

They found great quantities of human bones on 
shore, and skulls hanging like pots or cups about 
the houses. They saw few men. The women 
said that this was because ten canoes had gone on 
a robbing or kidnapping expedition to other 
islands. "This people," says Doctor Chanca, 
"appeared to us more polite than those who live 
in the other islands we have seen, though they all 
have straw houses." But he goes on to say that 
these houses are better made and provided, and 
that more of both men's and women's work ap- 
peared in them. They had not only plenty of 
spun and unspun cotton, but many cotton mantles, 
" so well woven that they yield in nothing (or owe 
nothing) to those of our country." 

When the women, who had been found cap- 
tives, were asked who the people of the island 
were, they replied that they were Caribs. When 
they heard that we abhorred such people for their 



THE CUSTOMS OF THE CARIES. 151 

evil use of eating men's flesh, they rejoiced 
much." But even in the captivity which all shared, 
they showed fear of their old masters. 

"The customs of this people, the Caribs," says 
Dr. Chanca, "are beastly;" and it would be 
difficult not to agree with him, in spite of the 
"politeness" and comparative civilization he has 
spoken of. 

They occupied three islands, and lived in har- 
mony with each other, but made war in their 
canoes on all the other islands in the neiehborhood. 
They used arrows in warfare, but had no iron. 
Some of them used arrow-heads of tortoise shell, 
others sharply toothed fish-bones, which could do 
a good deal of damage among unarmed men. 
" But for people of our nation, they are not arms 
to be feared much." 

These Caribs carried off both men and women on 
their robbing expeditions. They slaughtered and 
ate the men, and kept the women as slaves ; they 
were, in .short, incredibly cruel. Three of the cap- 
tive boys ran away and joined the Spaniards. 

They had twice sent out expeditions after the 
lost captain, Diego Marquez, and another party 



152 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

had returned without news of him, on the very 
day on which he and his men came in. They 
brought with them ten captives, boys and. women. 
They were received with great joy. " He and 
those that were with him, arrived so destroyed 
by the mountain, that it was pitiful to see them. 
When they were asked how they had lost them- 
selves, they said that it was the thickness of the 
trees, so great that they could not see the sky, and 
that some of them, who were mariners, had climbed 
up the trees to look at the star (the Pole-star) and 
that they never could see it." 

One of the accounts of this voyage ^' relates that 
the captive women, who had taken refuge with the 
Spaniards, were persuaded by them to entice some 
of the Caribs to the beach, " But these men, 
when they had seen our people, all struck by 
terror, or the consciousness of their evil deeds, 
looking at each other, suddenly drew together, 
and very lightly, like a flight of birds, fled away to 
the valleys of the woods. Our men then, not 
having succeeded in taking any cannibals, retired 
to the ships and broke the Indians' canoes." 

* That of Peter Martyr. 



VISITS THE ISLAND OF SAN MARTIN. 153 

They left Guadeloupe on Sunday, the tenth of 
November. They passed several islands, but 
stopped at none of them, as they were in haste to 
arrive at the settlement of La Navidad in Hispa- 
niola, made on the first voyage. They did, however, 
make some stay at an island which seemed well 
populated. This was that of San Martin. The 
Admiral sent a boat ashore to ask what people 
lived on the island, and to ask his way, although, 
as he afterwards found, his own calculations were 
so correct that he did not need any help. 

The boat's crew took some captives, and as it 
was going back to the ships, a canoe came up in 
which were four men, two women and a boy. 
They were so astonished at seeing the fleet, that 
they remained, wondering what it could be, "two 
Lombard-shot from the ship," and did not see the 
boat till it was close to them. They now tried to 
get off, but were so pressed by the boat that they 
could not. " The Caribs, as soon as they saw that 
flight did not profit them, with much boldness laid 
hands on their bows, the women as well as the 
men. And I say with much boldness, because 
they were no more than four men and two worhen, 



154 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

and ours more than twenty-five, of whom they 
wounded two. To one they gave two arrow-shots 
in the breast, and to the other one in the ribs. 
And if we had not had shields and tablachutas, and 
had not come up quickly with the boat and over- 
turned their canoe, they would have shot the most 
of our men with their arrows. And after their 
canoe was overturned, they remained in the water 
swimming, and at times getting foothold, for 
there were some shallow places there. And our 
men had much ado to take them, for they still 
kept on shooting as they could. And with all 
this, not one of them could be taken, except 
one badly wounded with a lance-thrust, who 
died, whom thus wounded they carried to the 
ships." 

Another account of this fight says that the canoe 
was commanded by one of the women, who 
seemed to be a queen, who had a son "of cruel 
look, robust, with a lion's face, who followed her." 
This account represents the queen's son to have 
been wounded, as well as the man who died. 

" The Caribs differed from the other Indians in 
having long hair ; the others wore theirs braided 



OTHER ISLANDS DISCOVERED. 155 

and a hundred thousand differences made in their 
heads, with crosses and other paintings of differ- 
ent sorts, each one as he desires, which they do 
with sharp canes." The Indians, both the Caribs 
and the others, were beardless, unless by a great 
exception. The Caribs, who had been taken 
prisoners here, had their eyes and eyebrows black- 
ened, " which, it seems to me, they do as an orna- 
ment, and with that they appear more frightful," 
They heard from these prisoners of much gold at 
an island called Cayre. 

They left San Martin on the same day, and 
passed the island of Santa Cruz, and the next day 
(November 15) they saw a great number of 
islands, which the Admiral named Santa Ursula 
and the Eleven Thousand Virgins, This seemed 
"a country fit for metals," but the fleet made no 
stay there. They did stop for two days at an 
island called Burenquen. The Admiral named it 
San Juan Bautista (Saint John Baptist), It is 
what we now call Porto Rico. He was not able 
to communicate with any of the inhabitants, as 
they lived in such fear of the Caribs that they all 
fled. All these islands were new to the Admiral 



156 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

and all " very beautiful and of very good land, but 
this one seemed better thin all of them." 

On Friday, the twenty-second of November, 
they landed at the island of Hispaniola or Hayti 
which they so much desired. None of the party 
who had made the first voyage were acquainted 
with this part of the island ; but they conjectured 
what it was, from what the Indian captive women 
told them. 

The part of the island where they arrived was 
called Hayti, another part Xamana, and the third 
Bohio. "It is a very singular country," says Dr. 
Chanca, " where there are numberless great 
rivers and great mountain ridges and great level 
valleys. I think the grass never dries in the whole 
year, I do not think that there is any winter in this 
(island) nor in the others, for at Christmas are 
found many birds' nests, some with birds, and some 
with eggs." The only four-footed animals found in 
these islands were what Dr. Chanca calls doo^s of 
various colors, and one animal like a young rabbit, 
which climbed trees. Many persons ate these last 
and said they were very good. There were many 
small snakes, and few lizards, because the Indians 



A FEAST OF LIZARDS. 157 

were so fond of eating them. "They made as 
much of a feast of them as we would do of 
pheasants." 

" There are in this island and the others num- 
berless birds, of those of our country, and many 
others which never were seen there. Of our 
domestic birds, none have ever been seen here, 
except that in Zuruquia there were some ducks 
in the houses, most of them white as snow, and 
others black." 

They coasted along this island for several 
days, to the place where the Admiral had left 
his settlement. While passing the region of 
Xamana, they set ashore one of the Indians whom 
they had carried off on the first voyage. They 
"gave him some little things which the Admiral 
had commanded him to give away." Another 
account adds that of the ten Indian men who had 
been carried off on the first voyage, seven had 
already died on account of the change of air and 
food. Two of the three whom the Admiral was 
bringing back, swam ashore at night. "The 
Admiral cared for this but litde, thinking that he 
should have enough interpreters among those 



158 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

whom he had left in the Island, and whom he 
hoped to find there again." It seems certain that 
one Indian remained faithful to the Spaniards ; he 
was named Diego Colon, after the Admiral's 
brother. 

On the day that the captive Indian was set 
ashore, a Biscayan sailor died, who had been 
wounded by the Caribs in the fight between the 
boat's crew and the canoe. A boat's crew was 
sent ashore to bury him, and as they came to land 
there came out " many Indians, of whom some 
wore gold at the neck and at the ears. They 
sought to come with the christians to the ships, 
and they did not like to bring them, because they 
had not had permission from the Admiral." The 
Indians then sent two of their number in a little 
canoe to one of the caravels, where they were 
received kindly, and sent to speak with the 
Admiral." 

"They said, through an interpreter, that a 
certain king sent them to know what people we 
were, and to ask that we might be kind enough 
to land, as they had much gold and would give it 
to him, and of what they had to eat. The Admiral 



TWO DAYS AT MONTE CHRISTI. 159 

commanded silken shirts and caps and other little 
things to be given them, and told them that as he 
was going where Guacanagari was, he could not 
stop, that another time he would be able to see 
him. And with that, they (the Indians) went 
away." 

They stopped two days at a harbor which they 
called Monte Christi, to see if it were a suitable 
place for a town, for the Admiral did not feel 
altogether satisfied with the place where the settle- 
ment of La Navidad had been made on the first 
voyage. This Monte Christi was near " a great 
river of very good water" (the Santiago). But 
it is all an inundated region, and very unfit to 
live in. 

"As they were going along, viewing the river 
and land, some of our men found, in a place close 
by the river, two dead men, one with a cord (lazo) 
around his neck, and the other with one around 
his foot. This was the first day. On the next day 
following, they found two other dead men farther 
on than these others. One of these was in such 
a position that it could be known that he had a 
plentiful beard. Some of our men suspected 



160 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

more ill than good, and with reason, as the Indians 
are all beardless, as I have said." 

This port was not far from the port where the 
Spanish settlement had been made on the first 
voyage, so that there was great reason for these 
anxieties. They set sail once more for the settle- 
ment, and arrived opposite the harbor of La 
Navidad on the twenty-seventh of November. As 
they were approaching the harbor, a canoe came 
towards them, with five or six Indians on board, 
but, as the Admiral kept on his course without 
waiting for them, they went back. 

The Spaniards arrived outside the port of La 
Navidad so late that they did not dare to enter it 
that night. "The Admiral commanded two Lom- 
bards to be fired, to see if the christians replied, 
who had been left with the said Guacanagari, 
(this was the friendly cacique Guacanagari of the 
first voyage), for they too had Lombards." 
" They never replied, nor did fires nor signs of 
houses appear in that place, at which the people 
were much discouraged, and they had the suspicion 
that was natural in such a case." 

" Being thus all very sad, when four or five 



GOLDEN MASKS FOR THE ADMIRAL. 161 

hours of the night had passed, there came the 
same canoe which they had seen the evening 
before. The Indians in it asked for the Admiral 
and the captain of one of the caravels of the first 
voyage. They were taken to the Admiral's ship, 
but would not come on board until they had 
"spoken with him and seen him." They asked 
for a light, and as soon as they knew him, they 
entered the ship. They came from Guacanagari, 
and one of them was his cousin. 

They brought with them golden masks, one for 
the Admiral and another for one of the captains 
who had been with him on the first voyage, prob- 
ably Vicente Yanez Pinzon. Such masks were 
much valued amonof the Indians, and are thouoht 
to have been meant to put upon idols, so that they 
were given to the Spaniards as tokens of great 
respect. The Indian party remained on board for 
three hours, conversing with the Admiral and 
apparently very glad to see him again. When 
they were asked about the colonists of La Navidad, 
they said that they were all well, but that some of 
them had died from sickness, and that others had 

been killed in quarrels among themselves. Their 
11 



162 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

own cacique, Guacanagari, had been attacked by 
two other chiefs, Caonabo and Mayreni. They 
had burned his village, and he had been wounded 
in the lee, so that he could not come to meet the 
Spaniards that night. As the Indians went away, 
however, they promised that they would bring him 
to visit them the next day. So the explorers 
remained "consoled for that night." 

Next day, however, events were less reassur- 
ing. None of last night's party came back and 
nothing was seen of the cacique. The Spaniards, 
however, thought that the Indians might have been 
accidentally overturned in their canoe, as it was a 
small one, and as wine had been given them 
several times during their visit. 

While he was still waiting for them, the Admiral 
sent some of his men to the place where La 
Navidad had stood. They found that the strong 
fort with a palisade was burned down and 
demolished. They also found some cloaks and 
other clothes which had been carried off by the 
Indians, who seemed uneasy, and at first would 
not come near the party. 

" This did not appear well " to the Spaniards, 



1 



MASSACRE OF THE CHRISTIANS. 163 

as the Admiral had told them how many canoes 
had come out to visit him in that very place 
on the other voyage. They tried to make 
friends, however, threw out to them some bells, 
beads and other presents, and finally a relation 
of the cacique and three others ventured to the 
boat, and were taken on board ship. 

These men frankly admitted that the " christ- 
ians " were all dead. The Spaniards had been 
told so the night before by their Indian inter- 
preter, but they had refused to believe him. 
They were now. told that the King of Canoaboa* 
and the King Mayreni had killed them and 
burned the villagfe. 

They said, as the others had done, that 
Guacanagari was wounded in the thigh and they, 
like the others, said they would go and summon 
him. The Spaniards made them some presents, 
and they, too, disappeared. 

Early the next morning the Admiral himself, 
with a party, including Dr. Chanca, went ashore. 
" And we went where the town used to be, 
which we saw all burnt, and the clothes of 



*" Canoaboa " was thought to mean " Land of Gold." 



164 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

the christians were found on the grass there. 
At that time we saw no dead body. There were 
among us many different opinions, some suspect- 
ing that Guacanagari himself was (concerned) 
in the betrayal or death of the christians, and to 
others it did not appear so, as his town was 
burnt, so that the thing was very doubtful." 

The Admiral directed the whole place to be 
searched for gold, as he had left orders that if any 
quantity of it were found, it should be buried. 
While this search was being made, he and a few 
others went to look for a suitable place for a new 
settlement. They arrived at a village of seven or 
eight houses, which the inhabitants deserted at 
once. Here they found many things belonging 
to the christians, such as stockings, pieces of 
cloth, and " a very pretty mantle which had not 
been unfolded since it was brought from Castile." 
These, the Spaniards thought, could not have 
been obtained by barter. There was also 
one of the anchors of the ship which had gone 
ashore on the first voyage. 

When they returned to the site of La 
Navidad they found many Indians, who had 



SEEKING FOR A NEW SITE. 165 

become bold enoug-h to come to barter gold. 
They had shown the place where the bodies of 
eleven Spaniards lay " covered already by the 
grass which had grown over them." They all 
"with one voice" said that Canoaboa and Mayreni 
had killed them. But as, at the same time, they 
complained that some of the christians had taken 
three Indian wives, and some four, it seemed 
likely that a just resentment on the part of the 
islanders had had something to do with their 
death. 

The next day the Admiral sent out a caravel to 
seek for a suitable place for a town, and he 
himself went out to look for one in a different 
direction. He found a secure harbor and a good 
place for a settlement. But he thought it too far 
from the place where he expected to find a 
gold mine. On his return, he found the caravel 
he had sent out. As it was coasting along the 
island, a canoe had come out to it, with two 
Indians on board, one of whom was a brother of 
Guacanagari, This man begged the party to 
come and visit the cacique. The " principal 
men " accordingly went on shore, and found" him 



166 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

in bed, apparently suffering from his wounded 
thigh, which he showed them in bandages. They 
judged from appearances that he was telling them 
the truth. 

He said to them, "by signs as best he could," 
that since he was thus wounded, they were to 
invite the Admiral to come to visit him. As they 
were going away, he gave each of them a golden 
jewel, as each " appeared to him to deserve it." 
"This gold," says Dr. Chanca, " is made in very 
delicate sheets, like our gold leaf, because they use 
it for making masks and to plate upon bitumen. 
They also wear it on the head and for earrings 
and nose-rings, and therefore they beat it very 
thin as they only wear it for its beauty and not for 
its value." 

The Admiral decided to go to the cacique 
on the next day. He was visited early in the 
day by his brother, who hurried on the visit. 
" The Admiral went on shore and all the best 
people (gente de pro) with him, handsomely 
dressed, as would be suitable in a capital city." 
They carried' presents- with them, as they had 
already received gold from him. 



THE ADMIRAL RECEIVES PRESENTS. 167 

" When we arrived, we found him lying in 
his bed, according to their custom, hanging in the 
air, the bed being made of cotton like a net. 
He did not rise, but from the bed made a 
semblance of courtesy, as best he knew how. 
He showed much feeling, with tears in his eyes, 
at the death of the christians, and began to talk of 
it, showing, as best he could, how some died of 
sickness, and how others had gone to Canoaboa 
to seek for the gold mine, and that they had been 
killed there, and how the others had been 
killed in their town." 

He presented to the Admiral some gold and 
precious stones. One of the accounts says that 
there were eight hundred beads of a stone called 
ciba, one hundred of gold, a golden coronet, and 
three small calabashes filled with gold dust. 
Columbus, in return, made him a present. 

*' I and a navy surgeon were there," says 
Dr. Chanca. " The Admiral now said that we 
were learned in the infirmities of men, and asked 
if he would show us the wound. He replied that 
it pleased him to do so. I said that it would be 
necessarv, if he could, for him to go out of the 



168 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

house, since with the multitudes of people it was 
dark, and we could not see well. He did it 
immediately, as I believe, more from timidity than 
from choice. The surgeon came to him and 
began to take off the bandage. Then he said to 
the Admiral that the injury was caused by ciba, 
that is, by a stone. When it was unbandaged 
we managed to examine it. It is certain that he 
was no more injured in that leg than in the other, 
although he pretended that it was very painful." 

The Spaniards did not know what to believe. 
But it seemed certain that an attack of some 
enemy upon these Indians had taken place, and 
the Admiral determined to continue upon good 
terms with them. Nor did he change this policy 
toward Guacanagari. How far that chief had 
tried to prevent the massacre will never be known. 
The detail of the story was never fully drawn from 
the natives. The Spaniards had been cruel and 
licentious in their dealing with the Indians. They 
had quarrelled among themselves, and the indig- 
nant natives, in revenge, had destroyed them all. 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE NEW COLONY — EXPEDITIONS OF DISCOVERY — - GUA- 

CANAGARI • SEARCH FOR GOLD MUTINY IN THE 

COLONY THE VESSELS SENT HOME COLUMBUS 

MARCHES INLAND COLLECTION OF GOLD FORTRESS OF 

ST. THOMAS — ■ A NEW VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY — • JAMAICA 
VISITED THE SOUTH SHORE OF CUBA EXPLORED RE- 
TURN EVANGELISTA DISCOVERED COLUMBUS FALLS 

SICK RETURN TO ISABELLA. 

Columbus had hoped, with reason, to send 
back a part of the vessels which made up his 
large squadron, with gold collected in the year 
by the colonists at La Navidad. In truth, when, 
in 1 50 1, the system of gold- washing had been 
developed, the colony yielded twelve hundred 
pounds of gold in one year. The search for gold, 
from the beginning, broke up all intelligent plans 
for geographical discovery or for colonization. In 
this case, it was almost too clear that there was 
nothing but bad news to send back to Spain. 
Columbus went forward, however, as well as he 

169 



170 THE Llf^E OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

could, with the estabHshmentof a new colony, and 
with the search for gold. 

He sent out expeditions of discovery to open 
relations with the natives, and to find the best 
places for washing and mining for gold. 
Melchior Meldonado commanded three hundred 
men, in the first of these expeditions. They 
came to a good harbor at the mouth of a river, 
where they saw a fine house, which they sup- 
posed might be the home of Guacanagari. They 
met an armed party of one hundred Indians ; 
but these men put away their weapons when 
signals of peace were made, and brought pre- 
sents in token of good-will. 

The house to which they went was round, 
with a hemispherical roof or dome. It was thirty- 
two paces in diameter, divided by wicker work 
into different rooms. Smaller houses, for persons 
of rank lower than the chiefs, surrounded it. The 
natives told the explorers that Guacanagari 
himself had retired to the hills. 

On receiving the report of these explorers 
Columbus sent out Ojeda with a hundred men, 
and Corvalan with a similar party in different 



WASHING FOR GOLD. 



171 




WASHING FOR GOLD IN CUBA. 



172 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

directions. These officers, in their report, 
described the operation of gold-washing, much 
as it is known to explorers in mining regions 
to-day. The natives made a deep ditch into 
which the gold bearing sand should settle. For 
more important work they had flat baskets in 
which they shook the sand and parted it from the 
gold. With the left hand they dipped up sand, 
handled this skilfully or " dextrously '" with 
the right hand, so that in a few minutes they 
could give grains of gold to the gratified 
explorers. Ojeda brought home to Columbus 
one nugget which weighed nine ounces. 

They also brought tidings of the King of 
Canoaboa, of whom they had heard before, and 
he is called by the name of Caunebo himself* 
He was afterwards carried, as a prisoner or as a 
hostage, on the way to Spain ; but died on the 
passage. 

Columbus was able to dispatch the returning 
ships, with the encouraging reports brought in 
by Meldonado and Ojeda, but with very little 
gold. But he was obliged to ask for fresh 

* The name is spelled in many different ways. 



THE CITY OF ISABELLA LOCATED. 173 

supplies of food for the colony — even in the 
midst of the plenty which he described; for he 
had found already what all such leaders find, 
the difficulty of training men to use food to 
which they were not accustomed. He sent 
also his Carib prisoners, begging that they 
might be trained to a knowledge of the christian 
religion and of the Spanish language. He saw, 
already, how much he should need interpret- 
ers. The fleet sailed on the second of February, 
and its reports were, on the whole, favorably re- 
ceived. 

Columbus chose for the new city an elevation, 
ten leagues east of Monte Christi, and at first 
gave to his colony the name of Martha. It is 
the Isabella of the subsequent history. 

The colonists were delighted with the fertility 
of the soil under the tropical climate. Andalusia 
itself had not prepared them for it. They planted 
seeds of peas, beans, lettuces, cabbages and other 
vegetables, and declared that they grew more in 
eight days than they would have grown in twenty 
at home. They had fresh vegetables in sixteen 
days after they planted them ; but for melons, 



174 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

pumpkins and other fruits of that sort, they are 
generous enough to allow thirty days. 

They had carried out roots and suckers of the 
sugar-cane. In fifteen days the shoots were a 
cubit high. A farmer who had planted wheat in the 
beginning of February had ripe grain in the 
beginning of April ; so that they were sure of, at 
least, two crops in a year. 

But the fertility of the soil was the only 
favorable token which the island first exhibited. 
The climate was enervating and sickly. The labor 
on the new city was hard and discouraging. 
Columbus found that his colonists were badly 
fitted for their duty, or not fitted for it at all. 
Court eentlemen did not want to work. Priests 
expected to be put on better diet than any other 
people, Columbus — though he lost his own 
popularity — insisted on putting all on equal fare, 
in sharing the supplies he had brought from 
Spain, It did not require a long time to prove 
that the selection of the site of the colony was 
unfortunate. Columbus himself gave way to the 
general disease. While he was ill, a mutiny broke 
out which he had to suppress by strong measures. 



MUTINEERS PUNISHED. 175 

Bornal Diaz, who ranked as comptroller of the 
expedition, and Fermin Cedo, an assayer, made 
a plot for seizing the remaining- ships and sail- 
ing for Europe. News of the mutiny was brought 
to Columbus. He found a document in the writ- 
ing of Diaz, drawn as a memorial, accusing Colum- 
bus himself of grave crimes. He confined Diaz 
on board a ship to be sent to Spain with the me- 
morial. He punished the mutineers of lower rank. 
He took the guns and naval munitions from four 
of the vessels, and entrusted them all to a person 
in whom he had absolute confidence. 

On the report of the exploring parties, four 
names were given to as many divisions of the 
island. Junna was the most western, Attibunia 
the most eastern, Jachen the northern and Naiba 
the southern. Columbus himself, seeing the forti- 
fications of the city well begun, undertook, in 
March, an exploration of the island, with a force 
of five hundred men. 

It was in the course of this exploration that one 
of the natives brought in a gold-bearing stone 
which weighed an ounce. He was satisfied with 
a little bell in exchange. He was surprised at the 



176 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

wonder expressed by the Spaniards, and 
showing a stone as large as a pomegranate, he 
said that he had nuggets of gold as large as this 
at his home. Other Indians brought in gold- 
bearing stones which weighed more than an 
ounce. At their homes, also, but not in sight, 
alas, was a block of gold as large as an infant's 
head. 

Columbus himself thought it best to take as 
many men as he could into the mountain region. 
He left the new city under the care of his brother, 
Diego, and with all the force of healthy men which 
he could muster, making a little army of nearly 
five hundred men, he marched away from the 
sickly seaboard into the interior. The simple 
natives were astonished by the display of cavalry 
and other men in armor. After a few days of a 
delightful march, in the beauty of spring in that 
country, he entered upon the long sought Cibao. 
He relinquished his first idea of founding another 
city here, but did build a fortress called St. Thomas, 
in joking reference to Cedo and others, who had 
asserted that these regions produced no gold. 
While building this fortress, as it was proudly 



HE THINKS CUBA IS ASIA. 177 

called, he sent a young' cavalier named Liixan for 
further exploration. 

Luxan returned with stories even greater than 
they had heard of before, but with no gold, 
" because he had no orders to do so." He had 
found ripe grapes. And at last they had found 
a region called Cipangi, cipan signifying' stone. 
This name recalled the memory of Cipango, or 
Japan. With tidings as encouraging as this, 
Columbus returned to his city. He appointed 
his brother and Pedro Margarita governors of 
the city, and left with three ships for the further 
exploration of Cuba, which he had left only partly 
examined in his first voyage. He believed that 
It was the .mainland of Asia. And as has been 
said, such was his belief till he died, and that 
of his countrymen. Cuba was not known to be 
an island for many years afterwards. He was 
now again in the career which pleased him, and 
for which he was fitted. He was always 111 at ease 
in administering a colony, or ruling the men who 
were engaged in It. He was happy and contented 
when he was discovering. He had been eager to 
follow the southern coast of Cuba, as he had 

12 



178 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

followed the north in his first voyage. And now 
he had his opportunity. Having commissioned his 
brother Diego and Margarita and appointed also 
a council of four other gentlemen, he sailed to ex- 
plore new coasts, on the twenty-fourth of April. 

He was soon tempted from his western course 
that he might examine Jamaica, of which he 
saw the distant lines on the south. " This island," 
says the account of the time, "is larger than 
Sicily. It has only one mountain, which rises 
from the coast on every side, little by little, 
until you come to the middle of the island ; 
and the ascent is so gradual that, whether you 
rise or descend, you hardly know whether you 
are risinsf or descendincr." Columbus found 
the island well peopled, and from what he saw 
of the natives, thought them more ingenious, 
and better artificers, than any Indians he had 
seen before. But when he proposed to land, 
they generally showed themselves prepared to 
resist him. He therefore deferred a full exami- 
nation of the island to his return, and, with the 
first favorable wind, pressed on toward the 
southern coast of Cuba. He insisted on calling 



IN A LABYRINTH OF ISLANDS. 179 

this the " Golden Chersonesus " of the East. 
This name had been given by the old geogra- 
phers to the peninsula now known as Malacca. 

Crossing the narrow channel between Jamaica 
and Cuba, he began coasting that island west- 
ward. If the reader will examine the map, he 
will find many small keys and islands south of 
Cuba, which, before any survey had been made, 
seriously retarded his westward course. In every 
case he was obliged to make a separate ex- 
amination to be sure where the real coast of 
the island was, all the time believing it was 
the continent of Asia. One of the narratives 
says, with a pardonable exaggeration, that in all 
this voyage he thus discovered seven hundred 
islands. His own estimate was that he sailed 
two hundred and twenty-two leagues westward in 
the exploration which now engaged him. 

The month of May and the beginning of 
June were occupied with such explorations. The 
natives proved friendly, as the natives of the 
northern side of Cuba had proved two years 
before. They had, in general, heard of the visit of 
the Spaniards ; but their wonder and admiration 



180 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

seem to have been none the less now that they 
saw the reahty. 

On one occasion the hopes of all the party, 
that they should find themselves at the court of 
the Grand Khan, were greatly quickened. A 
Spaniard had gone into a forest alone, hunting. 
Suddenly he saw a man clothed in white, or 
thought he did, whom he supposed to be a 
friar of the order of Saint Mary de Mercedes, 
who was with the expedition. But, almost im- 
mediately, ten other friars dressed in the same 
costume, appeared, and then as many as thirty. 
The Spaniard was frightened at the multipli- 
cation of their number, it hardly appears why, 
as they were all men of peace, or should have 
been, whatever their number. He called out to 
his companions, and bade them escape. But 
the men in white called out to him, and waved 
their hands, as if to assure him that there was no 
danger. He did not trust them, however, but 
rushed back to the shore and the ship, as 
fast as he could, to report what he had seen to 
the Admiral. 

Here, at last, was reason for hope that they had 



INLAND EXPLORATIONS. 181 

found one of the Asiatic missions of the Church. 
Columbus at once landed a party, instructing them 
to go forty miles inland, if necessary, to find 
people. But this party found neither path nor 
roadway, although the country was rich and fer- 
tile. Another party brought back rich bunches 
of grapes, and other native fruits. But neither 
party saw any friars of the order of Saint Mary. 
And it is now supposed that the Spaniard saw a 
peaceful flock of white cranes. The traveller 
Humboldt describes one occasion, in which the 
town of Angostura was put to alarm by the ap- 
pearance of a flock of cranes known as soldados, 
or "soldiers," which were, as people supposed, a 
band of Indians. 

In his interviews with the natives at one point 
and another, upon the coast, Columbus was de- 
lighted with their simplicity, their hospitality, and 
their kindly dealing with each other. On one 
occasion, when the Mass was celebrated, a large 
number of them were present, and joined in the 
service, as well as they could, with respect and 
devotion. An old man as much as eighty years 
old, as the Spaniards thought, brought to -the 



182 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

Admiral a basket full of fruit, as a present. Then 
he said, by an interpreter : 

"We have heard how you have enveloped, by 
your power, all these countries, and how much 
afraid of you the people have been. But I have 
to exhort you, and to tell you that there are two 
ways when men leave this body. One is dark and 
dismal ; it is for those who have injured the race 
of men. The other is delightful and pleasant ; it 
is for those who, while alive, have loved peace and 
the repose of mankind. If, then, you remember 
that you are mortal, and what these retributions 
are, you will do no harm to any one." 

Columbus told him in reply that he had known 
of the two roads after death, and that he was 
well pleased to find that the natives of these lands 
knew of them ; for he had not expected this. He 
said that the king and queen of Spain had sent 
him with the express mission of bringing these 
tidings to them. In particular, that he was charged 
with the duty of punishing the Caribs and all other 
men of impure life, and of rewarding and honor- 
ing all pure and innocent men. This statement 
so delighted the old prophet that he was eager to 



THINKS HE IS ON THE COAST OF ASIA. 183 

accompany Columbus on a mission so noble, and 
it was only by the urgent entreaty of his wife and 
children that he stayed with them. He found it 
hard to believe that Columbus was inferior In rank 
or command to any other sovereign. 

The beauty of the island and the hospitality of 
the natives, however, were not enough to dispose 
the crews to continue this exploration further. 
They were all convinced that they were on the 
coast of Asia. Columbus did not mean that after- 
wards any one should accuse him of abandoning 
the discovery of that coast too soon. Calling to 
their attention the distance they had sailed, he sent 
round a written declaration for the siofnature of 
every person on the ships. Every man and boy 
put his name to it. It expressed their certainty 
that they were on the cape which made the end of 
the eastern Indies, and that any one who chose 
could proceed thence westward to Spain by land. 
This extraordinary declaration was attested offi- 
cially by a notary, and still exists. 

It was executed in a bay at the extreme south- 
western corner of Cuba. It has been remarked 
by Munoz, that at that moment, in that place, a 



184 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

ship boy at the masthead could have looked over 
the group of low islands and seen the open sea, 
which would have shown that Cuba was an island. 

The facts, which were controlling, were these, 
that the vessels were leaky and the crews sick and 
discontented. On the thirteenth of June, Colum- 
bus stood to the southeast. He discovered the 
island now known as the Island of Pines. He 
called it Evangelista. He anchored here and took 
in water. In an interview, not unlike that described, 
in which the old Cuban expressed his desire to re- 
turn with Columbus, it is said that an Evangelistan 
chief made the same offer, but was withheld by the 
remonstrances of his wife and children. A similar 
incident is reported in the visit to Jamaica, which 
soon followed. Columbus made a careful exami- 
nation of that island. Then he crossed to His- 
paniola, where, from the Indians, he received such 
accounts from the new town of Isabella as assured 
him that all was well there. 

With his own indomitable zeal, he determined 
now to go to the Carib islands and administer to 
them the vengeance he had ready. But his own 
frame was not strono^ enouo^h for his will. He 



HIS UNFORTUNATE ILLNESS. 185 

sank exhausted, in a sort of lethargy. The officers 
of his ship, supposing he was dying, put about the 
vessels and the little squadron arrived, none too 
soon as it proved, at Isabella. 

He was as resolute as ever in his deter- 
mination to crush the Caribs, and prevent their 
incursions upon those innocent islanders to 
whom he had made so many promises of 
protection. But he fell ill, and for a short 
time at least was wholly unconscious. The 
officers in command took occasion of his ill- 
ness, and of their right to manage the vessels, 
to turn back to the city of Isabella. He arrived 
there " as one half dead," and his explorations 
and discoveries for this voyage were thus 
brought to an end. To his great delight he 
found there his brother Bartholomew, whom he 
had not seen for eight years. Bartholomew 
had accompanied Diaz in the famous voyage 
in which he discovered the Cape of Good Hope. 
Returning to Europe in 1488 he had gone to Eng- 
land, with a message from Christopher Columbus, 
asking King Henry the Seventh to interest him- 
self in the great adventure he proposed. 



186 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

The authorities differ as to the reception 
which Henry gave to this great proposal. Up to 
the present time, no notice has been found of 
his visit in the Enghsh archives. The earliest 
notice of America, in the papers preserved there, 
is a note of a present of ten pounds " to hym 
that found the new land," who was Cabot, after 
his first voyage. Bartholomew Columbus was in 
England on the tenth of February, 1488 ; how 
much later is not known. Returning from Eng- 
land he staid in France, in the service of Madama 
de Bourbon. This was either Anne of Beaujeu, or 
the widow of the Admiral Louis de Bourbon. 
Bartholomew was living in Paris when he heard 
of his brother's great discovery. 

He had now been appointed by the Spanish 
sovereigns to command a fleet of three vessels, 
which had been sent out to provision the new 
colony. He had sailed from Cadiz on the thir- 
tieth of April, 1494, and he arrived at Isabella on 
St. John's Day of the same year. 

Columbus welcomed him with delight, and 
immediately made him his first-lieutenant in com- 
mand of the colony. There needed a strong 



CONSIGNMENT OF SLAVES. 187 

hand for the management of the colony, for the 
quarrels which had existed before Columbus 
went on his Cuban voyage had not diminished in 
his absence. Pedro Margarita and Father Boil 
are spoken of as those who had made the most 
trouble. They had come determined to make a 
fortune rapidly, and they did not propose to give 
up such a hope to the slow processes of ordinary 
colonization. Columbus knew verv well that 
those who had returned to Spain had carried with 
them complaints as to his own course. He 
would have been glad on some accounts to return, 
himself, at once ; but he did not think that the 
natives of the islands were sufficiently under 
the power of the new colony to be left in safety. 

First of all he sent back four caravels, which had 
recently arrived from Europe, with five hundred 
Indians whom he had taken as slaves. He con- 
signed them to Juan de Fonseca's care. He was 
eager himself to say that he sent them out that 
they might be converted to Christianity, and that 
they might learn the Spanish language and be of 
use as interpreters. But, at the same time, he 
pointed out how easy it would be to make a source 



188 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

of revenue to the Crown from such involuntary 
emig-ration. To Isabella's credit it is to be said, 
that she protested against the whole thing imme- 
diately ; and so far as appears, no further ship- 
ments were made in exactly the same way. But 
these poor wretches were not sent back to the 
islands, as she perhaps thought they were. 
Fonseca did not hesitate to sell them, or appren- 
tice them, to use our modern phrase, and it is 
said by Bernaldez that they all died. His bitter 
phrase is that Fonseca took no more care of them 
than if they had been wild animals. 

Columbus did not recover his health, so as to 
take a very active part in affairs for five months 
after his arrival at San Domingo. He was 
well aware that the Indians were vigorously 
organized, with the intention of driving his people 
from the island, or treating the colony as they had 
treated the colony of Navidad. He called the 
chief of the Cipangi, named Guarionexius, for con- 
sultation. The interpreter Didacus, who had 
served them so faithfully, married the king's sister, 
and it was hoped that this would be a bond of 
amity between the two nations. 



OJEDA AND CANABAO. 189 

Columbus sent Ojeda into the gold mountains 
with fifty armed men to make an alliance with 
Canabao. Canabao met this party with a good 
deal of perplexity. He undoubtedly knew that 
he had given the Spaniards good reason for 
doubting him. It is said that he had put to 
death twenty Spaniards by treasonable means, 
but it is to be remembered that this is the state- 
ment of his enemies. He, however, came to 
Columbus with a large body of his people, all 
armed. When he was asked why he brought so 
large a force with him, he said that so great a 
king as he, could not go anywhere without a fitting 
military escort. But Ojeda did not hesitate to 
take him prisoner and carry him into Isabella, 
bound. As has been said, he was eventually sent 
to Spain, but he died on the passage. 

Columbus made another fortress, or tower, on 
the border of KingGuarionexius's country, between 
his kingdom and Cipango. He gave to this post 
the name of the "Tower of the Conception," and 
meant it to be a rallying point for the miners and 
others, in case of any uprising of the natives 
against them. This proved to be an important 



190 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

centre for mining operations. From this place, 
what we should call a nugget of gold, which one 
of the chiefs brought in, was sent to Spain. It 
weighed twenty ounces. A good deal of interest 
attached also to the discovery of amber, one mass 
of which weighed three hundred pounds. Such 
discoveries renewed the interest and hope which 
had been excited in Spain by the first accounts of 
Hispaniola. 

Columbus satisfied himself that he left the island 
really subdued ; and in this impression he was not 
mistaken. Certain that his presence in Spain was 
needed, if he would maintain his own character 
against the attacks of the disaffected Spaniards 
who had eone before him, he set sail on the Nina 
on the tenth of March, taking with him as a con- 
sort a caravel which had been built at Isabella. 
He did not arrive in Cadiz till the eleventh of 
June, having been absent from Spain two years 
and nine months. 

His return to Spain at this time gave Isabella 
another opportunity to show the firmness of her 
character, and the determination to which alone 
belongs success. 



EXPECTATIONS UNREALIZED. 191 

The excitement and popularity which attended 
the return from the first voyage had come to an 
end. Spain was in the period of reaction. The 
disappointment which naturally follows undue 
expectations and extravagant prophecies, was, in 
this instance, confirmed by the return of discon- 
tented adventurers. Four hundred years have 
accustomed the world to this reflex flow of 
disappointed colonists, unable or unwilling to 
work, who come back from a new land to say 
that its resources have been exaggerated. In 
this case, where everything was measured 
by the standard of gold, it was certainly true 
that the supply of gold received from the 
islands was very small as compared with the ex- 
penses of the expedition which had been sent out. 

Five hundred Indians, who came to be taught 
the language, entering Spain as slaves, were but 
a poor return for the expenses in which the 
nation, not to say individuals, had been involved. 
The people of Spain, therefore, so far as they 
could show their feeling, were prejudiced against 
Columbus and those who surrounded him. They 
heard with incredulity the accounts of Cuba which 



192 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

he gave, and were quite indifferent to the geo- 
graphical theories by which he wanted to prove 
that it was a part of Asia. He believed that the 
rich mines, which he had really found in Hispaniola, 
were the same as those of Ophir. But after five 
years of waiting, the Spanish public cared but little 
for such conjectures. 

As he arrived in Cadiz, he found three vessels, 
under Nino, about to sail with supplies. These 
were much needed, for the relief of the preceding 
year, sent out in four vessels, had been lost by 
shipwreck. Columbus was able to add a letter of 
his own to the governor of Isabella, begging him 
to conform to the wishes expressed by the king 
and queen in the dispatches taken by Nino. He 
recommended diligence in exploring the new 
mines, and that a seaport should be founded in 
their neighborhood. At the same time he received 
a gracious letter from the king and queen, con- 
gratulating him on his return, and asking him to 
court as soon as he should recover from his 
fatiofue. 

Columbus was encouraged by the tone of this 
letter. He had chosen to act as if he were in 



i 



HE VISITS FERDINAND AND ISABELLA. 193 

disgrace, and dressed himself in humble garb, as 
if he were a Franciscan monk, wearing his beard 
as the brethren of those orders do. Perhaps 
this was in fulfillment of one of those vows which, 
as we know, he frequently made in periods of 
despondency. 

He went to Burgos, where Ferdinand and 
Isabella were residing, and on the way made such 
a display of treasure as he had done on the 
celebrated march to Barcelona. Canabao, the 
fierce cacique of Hispaniola, had died on the 
voyage, but his brother and nephew still lived, 
and he took them to the king and queen, 
glittering on state occasions with golden orna- 
ments. One chain of gold which the brother 
wore, is said to have been worth more than three 
thousand dollars of our time. In the procession 
Columbus carried various masks and other 
images, made by the Indians in fantastic shapes, 
which attracted the curiosity which in all nations 
surrounds the idols of a foreign creed. 

o 

The sovereigns received him cordially. No 
reference was made to the complaints of the 
adventurers who had returned. However the 

13 



194 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

sovereigns may have been impressed by these, 
they were still confident in Columbus and in his 
merits, and do not seem to have wished to receive 
the partial accounts of his accusers. On his part, 
he pressed the importance of a new expedition, in 
order that they might annex to their dominions 
the eastern part of Asia. He wanted for this pur- 
pose eight ships. He was willing to leave two in 
the island of Hispaniola, and he hoped that he 
might have six for a voyage of discovery. The 
sovereigns assented readily to his proposal, and 
at the time probably intended to carry out his 
wishes. 

But Spain had something else to do than to 
annex Asia or to discover America ; and the 
fulfillment of the promises made so cordially in 
1496, was destined to await the exigencies of 
European war and diplomacy. In fact, he did not 
sail upon the third expedition for nearly two years 
after his arrival in Cadiz. 

In the autumn of 1496, an order was given for 
a sum amounting to nearly a hundred thousand 
dollars of our time, for the equipment of the 
promised squadron. At the same time Columbus 



ANOTHER EXPEDITION CONTEMPLATED, 195 

was relieved from the necessity by which he was 
bound in his original contract, to furnish at least 
one-eighth of the money necessary in any of 
these expeditions. This burden was becoming 
too heavy for him to bear. It was agreed, how- 
ever, that in the event of any profit resulting 
to the crown, he should be entitled to one-eighth 
of it for three ensuing years. This concession 
must be considered as an evidence that he 
was still in favor. At the end of three years 
both parties were to fall back upon the original 
contract. 

But these noble promises, which must have been 
so encouraging to him, could not be fulfilled, as it 
proved. For the exigencies of war, the partic- 
ular money which was to be advanced to Columbus 
was used for the repair of a fortress upon the 
frontier. Instead of this, Columbus was to receive 
his money from the gold brought by Nino on his 
return. Alas, it proved that a report that he had 
returned with so much gold, meant that he had 
Indian prisoners, from the sale of whom he ex- 
pected to realize this money. And poor Columbus 
was virtually consigned to building and fitting out 



196 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. . 

his ship from the result of a slave-trade, which 
was condemned by Isabella, and which he knew 
was wretchedly unprofitable. 

A difficulty almost equally great resulted from 
the unpopularity of the expedition. People did 
not volunteer eagerly, as they had done, the minds 
of men being poisoned by the reports of emi- 
grants, who had gone out in high hope, and had 
returned disappointed. It even became neces- 
sary to commute the sentences of criminals who 
had been sentenced to banishment, so that they 
might be transported into the new settlements, 
where they were to work without pay. Even 
these expedients did not much hasten the progress 
of the expedition. 

Fonseca, the steady enemy of Columbus, was 
placed in command again at this time. The 
queen was overwhelmed with afiBiction by the 
death of Prince Juan ; and it seemed to Columbus 
and his friends that every petty difficulty was 
placed in the way of preparation. When at 
length six vessels were fitted for sea, it was only 
after the wear and tear of constant opposition 
from officials in command; and the expedition, 



HIS EQUIPMENT UNSATISFACTORY. 197 

as it proved, was not what Columbus had hoped 
for, for his purposes. 

On the thirtieth of May, however, in 1498, he 
was able to sail. As this was the period when 
the Catholic church celebrates the mystery of the 
Trinity, he determined and promised that the first 
land which he discovered should receive that 
sacred name. He was well convinced of the 
existence of a continent farther south than the 
islands among which he had cruised, and intended 
to strike that continent, as in fact he did, in the 
outset of his voyage. 



CHAPTER X. 
THE THIRD VOYAGE. 

LETTER TO THE KING AND QUEEN — DISCOVERY OF TRINI- 
DAD AND PARIA — CURIOUS SPECULATION AS TO THE 
EARTHLY PARADISE — ARRIVAL AT SAN DOMINGO RE- 
BELLIONS AND MUTINIES IN THAT ISLAND ■ — ROLDAN 

AND HIS FOLLOWERS OJEDA AND HIS EXPEDITION 

ARRIVAL OF BOBADILLA COLUMBUS A PRISONER. 

For the narrative of the third voyage, we are 
fortunate in having once more a contemporary 
account by Columbus himself. The more import- 
ant part of his expedition was partly over when 
he was able to write a careful letter to the king 
and queen, which is still preserved. It is lighted 
up by bursts of the religious enthusiasm which 
governed him from the beginning. All the more 
does it show the character of the man, and it 
impresses upon us, vv^hat is never to be forgotten, 
the mixture in his motive of the enthusiasm of 
a discoverer, the eager religious feeling which 
might have quickened a crusader, and the 

193 



A MESSENGER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 199 

prospects of what we should call business adven- 
ture, by which he tries to conciliate persons whose 
views are less exalted than his own. 

In addressing the king and queen, who are 
called " very high and very powerful princes," he 
reminds them that his undertaking to discover 
the West Indies began in the inspiration of the 
Holy Spirit, which appointed him as a messenger 
for this enterprise. He asks them to remember 
that he has always addressed them as with that 
intention. 

He reminds them of the seven or eight years in 
which he was urging his cause and that it was not 
enough that he should have showed the religious 
side of it, that he was obliged to argue for the tem- 
poral view as well. But their decision, for which he 
praises them indirectly, was made, he says, in the 
face of the ridicule of all, excepting the two priests, 
Marcheza and the Archbishop of Segovia. " And 
everything will pass away excepting the word of 
God, who spoke so clearly of these lands by the 
voice of Isaiah in so many places, affirming that 
His name should be divulofed to the nations 
from Spain." He goes on in a review of the 



200 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

earlier voyages, and after this preface gives his 
account of the voyage of 1498. 

They sailed from Santa Lucca the thirtieth of 
May, and went down to Madeira to avoid the 
hostile squadron of the French who were awaiting 
him at Cape St. Vincent. In the history by Her- 
rara, of another generation, this squadron is said 
to be Portuguese. From Maderia, they passed to 
the Canary Islands, from which, with one ship and 
two caravels, he makes his voyage, sending the 
other three vessels to Hispaniola. After making 
the Cape de Verde Islands, he sailed southwest. 
He had very hot weather for eight days, and in 
the hope of finding cooler weather changed 
his course to the westward. 

On the thirty-first of July, they made land, which 
proved to be the cape now known as Galeota, 
the southeastern cape of the island of Trinidad. 
The country was as green at this season as the 
orchards of Valencia in March. Passing five 
leagues farther on, he lands to refit his vessels 
and take on board wood and water. The next 
day a large canoe from the east, with twenty-four 
men, well armed, appeared. 



A CONCILIATORY ENTERTAINMENT. 201 

The Admiral wished to communicate with them, 
but they refused, although he showed them basins 
and other thino-s which he thought would attract 
them. Failinof in this effort, he directed some of 
the boys of the crew to dance and play a tam- 
bourine on the poop of the ship. But this concil- 
iatory measure had as little success as the other. 
The natives strung- their bows, took up their 
shields and beran to shoot the dancers, Colum- 
bus stopped the entertainment, therefore, and 
ordered some balls shot at them, upon which 
they left him. With the other vessel they opened 
more friendly communication, but when the pilot 
went to Columbus and asked leave to land with 
them, they went off, nor were any of them or 
theirs seen again. 

On his arrival at Punta de Icacocos, at the south- 
ern point of Trinidad, he observes the very strong 
currents which are always noticed by voyagers, 
running with as much fury as the Guadalquiver in 
time of flood. In the night a terrible wave came 
from the south, "a hill as high as a ship," so that 
even in writinof of it he feels fear. But no misfor- 
tune came from it. 



202 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

Sailing the next day, he found the water com- 
paratively fresh. He is, in fact, in the current 
produced by the great river Orinoco, which af- 
fects, in a remarkable way, all the tide-flow of 
those seas. Sailing north, he passes different 
points of the Island of Trinidad, and makes out 
the Punta de la Pena and the mainland. He still 
observes the freshness of the water and the sever- 
ity of the currents. 

As he sails farther westward, he observes fleets, 
and he sends his people ashore. They find no 
inhabitants at first, but eventually meet people 
who tell him the enemy of this country is Paria. 
Of these he took on board four. The king sent 
him an invitation to land, and numbers of the 
people came in canoes, many of whom wore gold 
and pearls. These pearls came to them from 
the north. Columbus did not venture to land 
here because the provisions of his vessels were 
already failing him. 

He describes the people, as of much the same 
color as those who have been observed before, 
and were ready for intercourse, and of good 
appearance. Two prominent persons came to 



I 



HOSPITALITIES OF THE ISLANDERS. 203 

meet them, whom he thought to be father and 
son. The house to which the Spaniards were led 
was large, with many seats. An entertainment 
was brought forward, in which there were many 
sorts of fruits, and wine of many kinds. It was 
not made from grapes, however, and he supposed 
it must be made of different sorts of fruits. 

A part of the entertainment was of maize, 
"which is a sort of corn which grows here, with a 
spike like a spindle." The Indians and their 
guests parted with regret that they could not 
understand each other's conversation. All this 
passed in the house of the elder Indian. The 
younger then took them to his house, where a 
similar collation was served, and they then re- 
turned to the ship, Columbus being in haste to 
press on, both on account of his want of supplies 
and the failure of his own health. He says he 
was still suffering from diseases which he had 
contracted on the last voyage, and with blind- 
ness. "That then his eyes did not give him as 
much pain, nor were they bloodshot as much as 
they are now." 

He describes the people whom they at first 



204 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

visited as of fine stature, easy bearing, with long 
straight hair, and wearing worked handkerchiefs 
on their heads. At a Httle distance it seemed as 
if these were made of silk, like the gauze veil 
with which the Spaniards were familiar, from 
Moorish usage. 

"Others," he says, "wore larger handkerchiefs 
round their waists, like the panete of the Span- 
iards." By this phrase he means a full garment 
hanging over the knees, either trousers or petti- 
coats. These people were whiter in color than 
the Indians he had seen before. They all wore 
something at the neck and arms, with many pieces 
of gold at the neck. The canoes were much 
larger than he had seen, better in build and 
lighter ; they had a cabin in the middle for the 
princes and their women. 

He made many inquiries for gold, but was told 
he must go farther on, but he was advised not to 
go there, because his men would be in danger of 
being eaten. At first, Columbus supposed that 
this meant that the inhabitants of the eold-bearine 
countries were cannibals, but he satisfied himself 
afterwards that the natives meant that they would 



HE LEAVES TRINIDAD. 205 

be eaten by beasts. With regard to pearls, also, 
he o-Qt some information that he should find them 

o 

when he had gone farther west and farther north. 

After these agreeable courtesies, the little fleet 
raised its anchors and sailed west. Columbus 
sent one caravel to investigate the river. Finding 
that he should not succeed in that direction, and 
that he had no available way either north or south, 
he leaves by the same entrance by which he had 
entered. The water is still very fresh, and he is 
satisfied, correctly as we know, that these currents 
were caused by the entrance of the great river of 
water. 

On the thirteenth of August he leaves the island 
by what he calls the northern mouth of the river 
[Boca Grande], and begins to strike salt water 
again. 

At this part of Columbus's letter there is a 
very curious discussion of temperature, which 
shows that this careful observer, even at that 
time, made out the difference between what are 
called isothermal curves and the curves of lati- 
tude. He observes that he cannot make any 
estimate of what his temperature will be on the 



206 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

American coast from what he has observed on 
the coast of Africa. 

He beeins now to doubt whether the world is 
spherical, and is disposed to believe that it is 
shaped like a pear, and he tries to make a theory 
of the difference of temperature from this sug- 
gestion. We hardly need to follow this now. We 
know he was entirely wrong in his conjecture. 
"Pliny and others," he says, "thought the world 
spherical, because on their part of it it was a hemis- 
phere." They were ignorant of the section over 
which he was sailing, which he considers to be that 
of a pear cut in the wrong way. His demonstra- 
tion is, that in similar latitudes to the eastward it is 
very hot and the people are black, while at Trini- 
dad or on the mainland it is comfortable and the 
people are a fine race of men, whiter than any 
others whom he has seen in the Indies. The sun 
in the constellation of the VirQ^in is over their 
heads, and all this comes from their being higher 
up, nearer the air than they would have been had 
they been on the African coast. 

With this curious speculation he unites some in- 
ferences from Scripture, and goes back to the 



THE EARTHLY PARADISE. 207 

account in the Book of Genesis and concludes that 
the earthly Paradise was in the distant east. He 
says, however, that if he could go on, on the 
equinoctial line, the air would grow more temper- 
ate, with greater changes in the stars and in the 
water. He does not think it possible that anyone 
can go to the extreme height of the mountain 
where the earthly Paradise is to be found, for no 
one is to be permitted to enter there but by the 
will of God, but he believes that in this voyage he 
is approaching it. 

Any reader who is interested in this curious 
speculation of Columbus should refer to the 
" Divina Comedia " of Dante, where Dante him- 
self held a somewhat similar view, and describes 
his entrance into the terrestrial paradise under 
the guidance of Beatrice. It is a rather curious 
fact, which discoverers of the last three centuries 
have established, that the point, on this world, 
which is opposite the city of Jerusalem, where all 
these enthusiasts supposed the terrestrial Paradise 
would be found, is in truth in the Pacific Ocean 
not far from Pitcairn's Island, in the very region 
where so many voyagers have thought that they 



208 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

found the climate and soil which to the terrestrial 
Paradise belong". 

Columbus expresses his dissent from the recent 
theory, which was that of Dante, supposing that 
the earthly Paradise was at the top of a sharp 
mountain. ' On the other hand, he supposes that 
this mountain rises gently, but yet that no person 
can go to the top. 

This is his curious " excursion," made, perhaps, 
because Columbus had the time to write it. 

The journal now recurs to more earthly affairs. 
Passing out from the mouth of the " Dragon," he 
found the sea runninof westward and the wind 
gentle. He notices that the waters are swept 
westward as the trade winds are. In this way he 
accounts for there being so many islands in that 
part of the earth, the mainland having been eaten 
away by the constant flow of the waves. He 
thinks their very shape indicates this, they being 
narrow from north to south and longer from east 
to west. Although some of the islands differ in 
this, special reasons maybe given for the difference. 
He brings in many of the old authorities to show, 
what we now know to be entirely false, that there 



ANXIOUS FOR OTHER DISCOVERIES. 209 

is much more land than water on the surface of 
the globe. 

All this curious speculation as to the make-up 
of the world encourages him to beg their High- 
nesses to go on with the noble work which they 
have begun. He explains to them that he plants 
the cross on every cape and proclaims the 
sovereignty of their Majesties and of the Christian 
religion. He prays that this may continue. The 
only objection to it is the expense, but Columbus 
begs their Highnesses to remember how much 
more money is spent for the mere formalities of 
the elegancies of the court. He begs them to 
consider the credit attaching to plans of dis- 
covery and quickens their ambition by reference 
to the efforts of the princes of Portugal. 

This letter closes by the expression of his 
determination to go on with his three ships for 
further discoveries. 

This letter was written from San Domingo on 
the eighth of October. He had already made the 
great discovery of the mainland of South 
America, though he did not yet know that he had 
touched the continent. He had intentionally gone 



210 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

farther south than before, and had therefore 
struck the island of Trinidad, to which, as he had 
promised, he gave the name which it still bears. 
A sailor first saw the summits of three mountams, 
and gave the cry of land. As the ships 
approached, it was seen that these three moun- 
tains were united at the base. Columbus was 
delicrhted by the omen, as he regarded it, which 
thu^ connected his discovery with the vow which 
he had made on Trinity Sunday. 

As the reader has seen, he first passed be- 
tween this great island and the mainland. The 
open gulf there described is now known as the 
Gulf of Paria. The observation which he made 
as to the freshness of the water, caused by the 
flow of the Orinoco, has been made by all navi- 
gators since. It may be said that he was then 
really in the mouth of the Orinoco. 

Young readers, at least, will be specially inter- 
ested to remember that it was in this region that 
Robinson Crusoe's island was placed by Defoe ; 
and if they will carefully read his life they will find 
discussions there of the flow of the " great River 
Orinoco." Crossing this gulf, Columbus had 



FIRST DISCOVERER OF SOUTH AMERICA. 211 

touched upon the coast of Paria, and thus became 
the first discoverer of South America. It is deter- 
mined, by careful geographers, that the discovery 
of the continent of North America, had been made 
before this time by the Cabots, saih'ng under the 
orders of Encrland. 

Columbus was gready encouraged by the dis- 
covery of fine pearls among the natives of Paria. 
Here he found one more proof that he was on 
the eastern coast of Asia, from which coast pearls 
had been brought by the caravans on which, till 
now, Europe had depended for its Asiatic sup- 
plies. He gave the name "Gulf of Pearls" to 
the estuary which makes the mouth of the River 
Paria. 

He would gladly have spent more time in 
exploring this region ; but the sea-stores of his 
vessel were exhausted, he was suffering from -a 
difficulty with his eyes, caused by overwatching, 
and was also a cripple from gout. He re- 
sisted the temptadon, therefore, to make further 
explorations on the coast of Paria, and passed 
westward and northwestward. He made many 
discoveries of islands in the Caribbean Sea as he 



212 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

went northwest, and he arrived at the colony of 
San Domingo, on the thirtieth of August. He 
had hoped for rest after his difficult voyage ; but 
he found the island in confusion which seemed 
hopeless. 

His brother Bartholomew, from all the accounts 
we have, would seem to have administered its 
affairs with justice and decision ; but the problem 
he had in hand was one which could not be solved 
so as to satisfy all the critics. Close around him 
he had a body of adventurers, almost all of whom 
were nothing but adventurers. With the help of 
these adventurers, he had to repress Indian hos- 
tilities, and to keep in order the natives who had 
been insulted and injured in every conceivable 
way by the settlers. 

He .vaS expected to send home gold to Spain 
~vvith every vessel ; he knew perfectly well that 
Spain was clamoring with indignation because 
he did not succeed in doinof so. But on the 
island itself he had to meet, from day to day, con- 
spiracies of Spaniards and what are called insur- 
rections of natives. These insurrections con- 
sisted simply in their assertion of such rights 



i 



GREAT CHANGE IN NATIVES AND EMIGRANTS. 213 

as they had to the beautiful land which the 
Spaniards were taking away from them. 

At the moment when Columbus landed, there 
was an instant of tranquility. But the natives, 
whom he remembered only six years ago as so 
happy and cheerful and hospitable, had fled as far 
as they could. They showed in every way their 
distrust of those who were trying to become their 
masters. On the other hand, soldiers and emi- 
grants were eager to leave the island if they could. 
They were near starvation, or if they did not 
starve they were using food to which they were 
not accustomed. The eagerness with which, in 
1493, men had wished to rush to this land of 
promise, was succeeded by an equal eagerness, in 
1498, to go home from it. 

As soon as he arrived, Columbus issued a procla- 
mation, approving of the measures of his brother 
in his absence, and denouncing the rebels 
with whom Bartholomew had been contending. 
He found the difficulties which surrounded him 
were of the most serious character. He had not 
force enough to take up arms against the rebels 
of different names. He offered pardon to them 



214 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

in the name of the sovereigns, and that they 
refused. 

Cohimbus was obliged, in order to maintain 
any show of authority, to propose to the sov- 
ereigns that they should arbitrate between his 
brother and Roldan, who was the chief of the 
rebel party. He called to the minds of Ferdinand 
and Isabella his own eaeer desire to return to 
San Domingo sooner, and ascribed the difficulties 
which had arisen, in large measure, to his long 
delay. He said he should send home the more 
worthless men by every ship. 

He asked that preachers might be sent out to 
convert the Indians and to reform the dissolute 
Spaniards. He asked for officers of revenue, 
and for a learned judge. He begged at the 
same time that, for two years longer, the colony 
might be permitted to employ the Indians as 
slaves, but he promised they would only use such 
as they captured in war and insurrections. 

By the same vessel the rebels sent out letters 
char^inof Columbus and his brother with the 
grossest oppression and injustice. All these letters 
came to court by one messenger. Columbus was 



roldan's insolent terms. 215 

then left to manage as best he could, in the months 
which must pass, before he could receive an 
answer. 

He was not wholly without success. That is to 
say, no actual battles took place between the 
parties before the answer returned. But when it 
returned, it proved to be written by his worst 
enemy, Fonseca. It was a genuine Spanish 
answer to a letter which required immediate 
decision. That is to say, Columbus was simply 
told that the whole matter must be left in sus- 
pense till the sovereigns could make such an 
investigation as they wished. The hope, there- 
fore, of some help from home was wholly dis- 
appointed. 

Roldan, the chief of the rebels, was encouraged 
by this news to take higher ground than even 
he had ventured on before. He now proposed 
that he should send fifteen of his company to 
Spain, also that those who remained should 
not only be pardoned, but should have lands 
granted ihem ; third, that a public proclama- 
tion should be made that all charges against 
him had been false ; and fourth, that he should 



216 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

hold the office of chief judge, which he had held 
before the rebellion. 

Columbus was obliged to accede to terms as 
insolent as these, and the rebels even added a 
stipulation, that if he should fail in fulfilling 
either of these articles, they might compel him 
to comply, by force or any other means. Thus 
was he hampered in the very position where, 
by the king's orders, and indeed, one would say, 
by the right of discovery, he was the supreme 
master. 

For himself, he determined to return with 
Bartholomew to Spain, and he made some pre- 
parations to do so. But at this time he learned, 
from the western part of the island, that four 
strange ships had arrived there. He could not 
feel that it was safe to leave the colony in such a 
condition of latent rebellion as he knew it to be 
in ; he wrote again to the sovereigns, and said 
directly that his capitulation with the rebels had 
been extorted by force, and that he did not con- 
sider that the sovereigns, or that he himself, were 
bound by it. He pressed some of the requests 
which he had made before, and asked that his son 



OJEDA AND ROLDAN. 217 

Diego, who was no longer a boy, might be sent 
out to him. 

It proved that the ships which had arrived at 
the west of the island were under the command 
of Ojeda, who will be remembered as a bold cava- 
lier in the adventures of the second voyage. Act- 
ing under a general permission which had been 
given for private adventurers, Ojeda had brought 
out this squadron, and, when Columbus communi- 
cated with him, was engaged in cutting dye-woods 
and shipping slaves. 

Columbus sent Roldan, who had been the head 
of the rebels, to inquire on what ground he was 
there. Ojeda produced a license signed by Fon- 
seca, authorizing him to sail on a voyage of dis- 
covery. It proved that Columbus's letters des- 
cribing the pearls of Paria had awakened curiosity 
and enthusiasm, and, while the crown had passed 
them by so coldly, Ojeda and a body of adven- 
turers had obtained a license and had fitted out 
four ships for adventure. The special interest of 
this voyage for us, is that it is supposed that Ves 
pucci, a Florentine merchant, made at this time 
his first expedition to America. 



218 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

Vespucci was not a professional seaman, 
but he was interested in geography, and had 
made many voyages before this time. So soon 
as it was announced that Ojeda was on the 
coast, the rebels of San Domingo selected him 
as a new leader. He announced to Columbus, 
rather coolly, that he could probably redress the 
grievances which these men had. He undoubt- 
edly knew that he had the protection of Fonseca 
at home. F"ortunately for Columbus, Roldan 
did not mean to give up his place as "leader 
of the opposition;" and it may be said that 
the difficulty between the two was a certain 
advantage to Columbus in maintaining his au- 
thority. 

Meanwhile, all wishes on his part to continue 
his discoveries were futile, while he was engaged 
in the almost hopeless duty of reconciling various 
adventurers and conciliating people who had no 
interests but their own. In Spain, his enemies 
were doing everything in their power to under- 
mine his reputation. His statements were read 
more and more coldly, and at last, on the twenty- 
first and twenty-sixth of May, 1499, letters were 



i 



ARRIVAL OF BOBADILLA." 219 

written to him instructing him to deliver into the 
hands of Bobadilla, a new commandant, all the 
fortresses and ships, houses and other royal prop- 
erty which he held, and to give faith and obedience 
to any instructions given by Bobadilla. That is 
to say, Bobadilla was sent out as a commander 
who was to take precedence of every one on the 
spot. He was an officer of the royal household, 
probably a favorite at court, and was selected for 
the difficult task of reconciling all difficulties, and 
bringing the new colony into loyal allegiance to 
the crown. He sailed for San Domingo in the 
middle of July, 1500, and arrived on the twenty- 
third of August. 

On his arrival, he found that Columbus and 
his brother Bartholomew were both absent from 
the city, being in fact engaged in efforts to set 
what may be called the provinces in order. The 
young Diego Columbus was commander in their 
absence. The morning after he arrived, Bobadilla 
attended mass, and then, with the people as- 
sembled around the door of the church, he 
directed that his commission should be read. 
He was to investiirate the rebellion, he was to 



220 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

seize the persons of delinquents and punish 
them with rigor, and he was to command the 
Admiral to assist him in these duties. 

He then bade Diego surrender to him certain pris- 
oners, and ordered that their accusers should appear 
before him. To this Diego replied that his brother 
held superior powers to any which Bobadilla could 
possess ; he asked for a copy of the commission, 
which was declined, until Columbus himself should 
arrive. Bobadilla then took the oath of office, 
and produced, for the first time, the order which 
has been described above, ordering Columbus 
to deliver up all the royal property. He won 
the popular favor by reading an order which 
directed him to pay all arrears of wages due to 
all persons in the royal service. 

But when he came before the fortress, he 
found that the commander declined to surrender it. 
He said he held the fortress for the king by the 
command of the Admiral, and would not deliver 
it until he should arrive. Bobadilla, however, "as- 
sailed the portal ;" that is to say, he broke open 
the gate. No one offered any opposition, and 
the commander and his first-lieutenant were taken 



HE IS PUT IN CHAINS. 221 

prisoners. He went farther, taking up his re- 
sidence in Columbus's house, and seizing his 
papers. So soon as Columbus received account 
of Bobadilla's arrival, he wrote to him in care- 
ful terms, welcoming him to the island. He 
cautioned him against precipitate measures, told 
him that he himself was on the point of going 
to Spain, and that he would soon leave him in 
command, with everything explained. Bobadilla 
gave no answer to these letters ; and when 
Columbus received from the sovereio^ns the 
letter of the twenty-sixth of May, he made no 
longer any hesitation, but reported in person 
at the city of San Domingo. 

He traveled without guards or retinue, but 
Bobadilla had made hostile preparations, as if 
Columbus meant to come with military force. 
Columbus preferred to show his own loyalty to 
the crown and to remove suspicion. But no 
sooner did he arrive in the city than Bobadilla 
gave orders that he should be put in irons and 
confined in the fortress. Up to this moment, 
Bobadilla had been sustained by the popular favor 
of those around him ; but the indignity, of placing 



222 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

chains upon Columbus, seems to have made a 
change in the fickle impressions of the little town. 

Columbus, himself, behaved with magnanimity, 
and made no complaint. Bobadilla asked him to 
bid his brother return to San Domingo, and he 
complied. He begged his brother to submit to 
the authority of the sovereigns, and Bartholomew 
immediately did so. On his arrival in San Do- 
mingo he was also put in irons, as his brother 
Diego had been, and was confined on board a 
caravel. As soon as a set of charges could be 
made up to send to Spain with Columbus, the 
vessels, with the prisoners, set sail. 

The master of the caravel, Martin, was pro- 
foundly grieved by the severe treatment to which 
the great navigator was subjected. He would 
gladly have taken off his irons, but Columbus 
would not consent. " I was commanded by the 
king and queen," he said, " to submit to whatever 
Bobadilla should order in their name. He has put 
these chains on me by their authority. I will wear 
them until the king and queen bid me take them 
off I will preserve them afterwards as relics and 
memorials of the reward of my services.^' His 



SENT HOME IN CHAINS. 



223 




COLUMBUS SENT HOME IN CHAINS. 



224 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

son, Fernando, who tells this story, says that he 
did so, that they were always hanging in his 
cabinet, and that he asked that they might be 
buried with him when he died. 

From this expression of Fernando Columbus, 
there has arisen, what Mr. Harrisse calls, a "pure 
legend," that the chains were placed in the coffin 
of Columbus. Mr, Harrisse shows good reason 
for thinking that this was not so. "Although dis- 
posed to believe that, in a moment of just indig- 
nation, Columbus expressed the wish that these 
tokens of the ingratitude of which he had been 
the victim* should be buried with him, I do not 
believe that they were ever placed in his coffin.". 

It will thus be seen that the third voyage added 
to the knowledge of the civilized world the infor- 
mation which Columbus had gained regarding 
Paria and the island of Trinidad. For other pur- 
poses of discovery, it was fruitless. 



CHAPTER XI. 

SPAIN, 1500, 1501. 

1 CORDIAL RECEPTION IN SPAIN — COLUMBUS FAVORABLY 
RECEIVED AT COURT NEW INTEREST IN GEOGRAPH- 
ICAL DISCOVERY HIS PLANS FOR THE REDEMPTION 

OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE PREPARATIONS FOR A 

FOURTH EXPEDITION. 

Columbus was right in insisting- on wearing his 
chains. They became rather an ornament than a 
disgrace. So soon as it was announced in Spain 
that the great discoverer had been so treated by 
Bobadilla, a wave of popular indignation swept 
through the people and reached the court. Ferdi- 
nand and Isabella, themselves, had never intended 
to give such powers to their favorite, that he 
should disgrace a man so much his superior. 

They instantly sent orders to Cadiz that Colum- 
bus should be received with all honor. So soon 
as he arrived he had been able to send, to Dona 
Juana de la Torre, a lady high in favor at court, a 

private letter, in which he made a proud defense 
15 225 



226 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

of himself. This letter is still preserved, and it is 
of the first interest, as showing his own character, 
and as showing what were the real hardships which 
he had undergone. 

The Lady Juana read this letter to Isabella. 
Her own indignation, which probably had been 
kindled by the general news that Columbus had 
been chained, rose to the highest. She received 
him, therefore, when he arrived at court, with all 
the more cordiality. Ferdinand was either obliged 
to pretend to join with her in her indignation, or 
he had really felt distressed by the behavior of his 
subordinate. 

They did not wait for any documents from 
Bobadilla. As has been said, they wrote cor- 
dially to Columbus ; they also ordered that two 
thousand ducats should be paid him for his ex- 
penses, and they bade him appear at Grenada at 
court. He did appear there on the seventeenth 
of December, attended by an honorable retinue, 
and in the proper costume of a gentleman in favor 
with the king and queen. 

When the queen met him she was moved to 
tears, and Columbus, finding himself so kindly 



KINDLY RECEIVED BY THE QUEEN. 227 

received, threw himself upon his knees. For 
some time he could not express himself except by- 
tears and sobs. His sovereigns raised him from 
the ground and encouraged him by gracious 
words. 

So soon as he recovered his self-possession he 
made such an address as he had occasion to make 
more than once in his life, and showed the elo- 
quence which is possible to a man of affairs. He 
could well boast of his loyalty to the Spanish 
crown ; and he might well say that, whether he 
were or were not experienced in government, he 
had been surrounded by such difficulties in admin- 
istration as hardly any other man had had to go 
through. But reall}', it was hardly necessary that 
he should vindicate himself. 

The stupidity of his enemies, had injured their 
cause more than any carelessness of Columbus 
could have done. The sovereigns expressed their 
indignation at Bobadilla's proceedings, and, indeed, 
declareci at once that he should be dismissed from 
command. They never took any public notice of 
the charges which he had sent home ; on the other 
hand, they received Columbus with dignity and 



228 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

favor, and assured him that he should be reinstated 
in all his privileges. 

The time at which he arrived was, in a certain 
sense, favorable for his future plans, so far as he 
had formed any. On the other hand, the con- 
dition of affairs was wholly changed from what it 
was when he began his great discoveries, and the 
changes were in some degree unfavorable. Vasco 
da Gama had succeeded in the great enterprise 
by which he had doubled the Cape of Good Hope, 
had arrived at the Indies by the route of the Indian 
ocean, and his squadron had successfully returned. 

This great adventure, with the commercial and 
other results which would certainly follow it, had 
quickened the mind of all Europe, as the discovery 
by Columbus had quickened it eight years before. 
So far, any plan for the discoveries over which 
Columbus was always brooding, would be favor- 
ably received. But, on the other hand, in eight 
years since the first voyage, a large body of skill- 
ful adventurers had entered upon the career which 
then no one chose to share with him. The Pinzon 
brothers were among these ; Ojeda, already known 
to the reader, was another; and Vespucci, as the 



PLANS FOR NEW DISCOVERIES. 229 

reader knows, an intelligent and wise student, 
had engaged himself in such discoveries. 

The rumors of the voyages of the Cabots, much 
farther north than those made by Columbus, had 
gone through all Europe. In a word, Columbus was 
now only one of several skilful pilots and voyagers, 
and his plans were to be considered side by side 
with those which were coming forward almost 
every day, for new discoveries, either by the east- 
ern route, of which Vasco da Gama had shown the 
practicability, or by the western route, which 
Columbus himself had first essayed. 

It is to be remembered, as well, that Columbus 
was now an old man, and, whatever were his suc- 
cesses as a discoverer, he had not succeeded as a 
commander. There might have been reasons for 
his failure ; but failure is failure, and men do not 
accord to an unsuccessful leader the honors which 
they are ready to give to a successful discoverer. 
When, therefore, he offered his new plans at court, 
he should have been well aware that they could 
not be received, as if he were the only one who 
could make suggestions. Probably he was aware 
of this. He was also obliged, whether he would 



230 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

or would not, to give up the Idea that he was to 
be the commander of the regions which he dis- 
covered. 

It had been easy enough to grant him this 
command before there was so much as an inch 
of land known, over which it would make him the 
master. But now that it was known that large 
islands, and probably a part of the continent of 
Asia, were to be submitted to his sway if he had 
it, there .was every reason why the sovereigns 
should be unwilling to maintain for him the broad 
rights which they had been willing to give when a 
scratch of the pen was all that was needful to give 
them. 

Bobadilla was recalled ; so far well. But neither 
Ferdinand nor Isabella chose to place Columbus 
again in his command. They did choose Don 
Nicola Ovando, a younger man, to take the place 
of Bobadilla, to send him home, and to take the 
charge of the colony. 

From the colony itself, the worst accounts were 
received. If Columbus and his brother had failed, 
Bobadilla had failed more disgracefully. Indeed, 
he had begun by the policy of King Log, as an 



^bobadilla's bad behavior. 231 

improvement on the policy of King Stork. He 
had favored all rebels, he had pardoned them, he 
had even paid them for the time which they had 
spent in rebellion ; and the natural result was 
utter disorder and license. 

It does not appear that he was a bad man ; he 
was a man wholly unused to command ; he was 
an imprudent man, and was weak. He had com- 
promised the crown by the easy terms on which 
he had rented and sold estates ; he had been 
obliged, in order to maintain the revenue, to 
work the natives with more severity than ever. 
He knew very well that the system, under which 
he was workino- could not last lon^. One of his 
maxims was, " Do the best with your time," and 
he was constantly sacrificing future advantages for 
such present results as he could achieve. 

The Indians, who had been treated badly 
enough before, were worse treated now. And 
during his short administration, if it may be 
called an administration, — during the time when 
he was nominally at the head of affairs — he was 
reducing the island to lower and lower depths. 
He did succeed in obtaining a large product of 



232 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

gold, but the abuses of his government were not 
atoned for by such remittances. Worst of all, the 
wrongs of the natives touched the sensitiveness of 
Isabella, and she was eager that his successor 
should be appointed, and should sail, to put an end 
to these calamities. 

The preparations which were made for Ovando's 
expedition, for the recall of Bobadilla, and for a 
reform, if it were possible, in the administration 
of the colony, all set back any preparations for a 
new expedition of discovery on the part of Colum- 
bus. He was not foro-otten ; his accounts were 
to be examined and any deficiencies made up to 
him ; he was to receive the arrears of his revenue ; 
he was permitted to have an agent who should 
see that he received his share in future. To 
this agency he appointed Alonzo Sanchez de 
Carvajal, and the sovereigns gave orders that this 
agent should be treated with respect. 

Other preparations were made, so that Ovando 
mieht arrive with a stronQ^ reinforcement for the 
colony. He sailed with thirty ships, the size of 
these vessels ranging from one hundred and fifty 
Spanish toneles to one bark of twenty-five. It 



OVANDO'S FLEET PUT TO SEA. 233 

will be remembered that the Spanish tonele is 
larger by about ten per cent than our English ton. 
Twenty-five hundred persons embarked as colon- 
ists in the vessels, and, for the first time, men 
took their families with them. 

Everything was done to give dignity to the ap- 
pointment of Ovando, and it was hoped that by 
sending out families of respectable character, who 
were to be distributed in four towns, there might 
be a better basis given to the settlement. This 
measure had been insisted upon by Columbus. 

This fleet put to sea on the thirteenth of Feb- 
ruary, 1502. It met, at the very outset, a terrible 
storm, and one hundred and twenty of the passen- 
gers were lost by the foundering of a ship. The 
impression was at first given in Spain that the 
whole fleet had been lost ; but this proved to be a 
mistake. The others assembled at the Canaries, 
and arrived in San Domingo on the fifteenth of 
April. \ 

Columbus himself never lost confidence in his 
own star. He was sure that he was divinely sent, 
and that his mission was to open the way to the 
Indies, for the religious advancement of mankind. 



234 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

IfVasco de Gama had discovered a shorter way 
than men knew before, Christopher Columbus 
should discover one shorter still, and this discovery 
should tend to the glory of God. It seemed to 
him that the simplest way in which he could make 
men understand this, was to show that the Holy 
Sepulchre might, now and thus, be recovered 
from the infidel. 

Far from urging geographical curiosity as an 
object, he proposed rather the recovery of the 
Holy Sepulchre. That is, there was to be a 
new and last crusade, and the money for this 
enterprise was to be furnished from the gold of 
the farthest East. He was close at the door of 
this farthest East ; and as has been said, he believed 
that Cuba was the Ophir of Solomon, and he sup- 
posed, that a very little farther voyaging would 
open all the treasures which Marco Polo had 
described, and would bring the territory, which 
had made the Great Khan so rich, into the posses- 
sion of the king of Spain. 

He showed to Ferdinand and Isabella that, if 
they would once more let him go forward, on the 
adventure which had been checked untimely by 



HIS BOOK OF PROPHECIES. 235 

the cruelty of Bobadilla, this time they would have 
wealth which would place them at the head of the 
Christian sovereigns of the world. 

While he was inactive at Seville, and the great 
squadron was being prepared which Ovando was 
to command, he wrote what is known as the 
"Book of Prophecies," in which he attempted to 
convince the Catholic kings of the necessity of 
carrying forward the enterprise which he pro- 
posed. He urged haste, because he believed 
the world was only to last a hundred and fifty- 
five years longer ; and, with so much before them 
to be done, it was necessary that they should 
begin. 

He remembered an old vow that he had under- 
taken, that, within seven years of the time of his 
discovery, he would furnish fifty thousand foot 
soldiers and five thousand horsemen for the re- 
covery of the Holy Sepulchre. He now arranged 
in order prophecies from the Holy Scripture, 
passages from the writings of the Fathers, and 
whatever else suggested itself, mystical and hope- 
ful, as to the success of an enterprise by which 
the new world could be used for the conversion 



236 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

of the Gentiles and for the improvement of the 
Christianity of the old world. 

He had the assistance of a Carthusian monk, 
who seems to have been skilled in literary work, 
and the two arrano-ed these passages in order, 
illustrated them with poetry, and collected them 
into a manuscript volume which was sent to the 
sovereiofns. 

Columbus accompanied the Book of Prophecies 
with one of his own long letters, written with 
the utmost fervor. In this letter he begins, as 
Peter the Hermit might do, by urging the sov- 
ereigns to set on foot a crusade. If they are 
tempted to consider his advice extravagant, he 
asks them how his first scheme of discovery 
was treated. He shows that, as heaven had chosen 
him to discover the new world, heaven has also 
chosen him to discover the Holy Sepulchre. God 
himself had opened his eyes that he might make 
the great discovery, which has reflected such honor 
upon them and theirs. 

"If his hopes had been answered," says a Cath- 
olic writer, " the modern question of holy places, 
which is the Gordian knot of the religious politics 



HIS CHRISTIAN HEROISM. 237 

of the future, would have been solved long ago by 
the gold of the new world, or would have been cut 
by the sword of its discoverer. We should not 
have seen nations which are separated from the 
Roman communion, both Protestant and Pan- 
theistic governments, coming audaciously into 
contest for privileges, which, by the rights of old 
possession, by the rights of martyrdom and 
chivalry, belong to the Holy Catholic Church, the 
Apostolic Church, the Roman Church, and after 
her to France, her oldest daughter." 

Columbus now supposed that the share of the 
western wealth which would belong to him would 
be sufficient for him to equip and arm a hundred 
thousand infantry and ten thousand horsemen. 
" At the moment when the Christian hero made 
this pious calculation he had not enough of this 
revenue with which to buy a cloak." This is the 
remark of the enthusiastic biographer from whom 
we have already quoted. 

It is not literally true, but it is true that Colum- 
bus was living in the most modest way at the 
time when he was pressing his ambitious schemes 
upon the court. At the same time, he wrote a 



238 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

poem with which he undertook to press the same 
great enterprise upon his readers. It was called 
"The End of Man," " Memorare novissima tua, 
et non peccabis in eternum." 

In his letter to the king and queen he says, 
"Animated as by a heavenly fire, I came to your 
Highnesses; all who heard of my enterprise mocked 
it ; all the sciences I had acquired profited me as 
nothing ; seven years did I pass in your royal 
court, disputing the case with persons of great 
authority and learned in all the arts, and in the 
end they decided that all was vain. In your High- 
nesses alone remained faith and constancy. Who 
will doubt that this light was from the Holy Scrip- 
tures, illumining you, as well as myself, with rays 
of marvellous brightness." 

It is probable that the king and queen were, to 
a certain extent, influenced by his enthusiasm. It 
is certain that they knew that something was due 
to their reputation and to his success. By what- 
ever motive led, they encouraged him with hopes 
that he might be sent forward again, this time, not 
as commander of a colony, but as a discoverer. 
Discovery was indeed the business which he 



IMMENSE REVENUES FROM HISPANIOLA. 239 

understood, and to which alone he should ever 
have been commissioned. 

It is to be remembered that the language of 
crusaders was not then a matter of antiquity, and 
was not used as if it alluded to bygone affairs. 
It was but a few years since the Saracens had 
been driven out of Spain, and all men regarded 
them as being the enemies of Christianity and of 
Europe, who could not be neglected. More than 
this, Spain was beginning to receive very large 
and important revenues from the islands. 

It is said that the annual revenues from Hispan- 
iola already amounted to twelve millions of our dol- 
lars. It was not unnatural that the king and queen, 
willing to throw off the disgrace which they had 
incurred from Bobadilla's cruelty, should not only 
send Ovando to replace him, but should, though 
in an humble fashion, give to Columbus an oppor- 
tunity to show that his plans were not chimerical. 



CHAPTER XII. 

FOURTH VOYAGE. 

THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN FOR THE VOYAGE HE IS TO GO TO 

THE MAINLAND OF THE INDIES — - A SHORT PASSAGE — - 
OVANDO FORBIDS THE ENTRANCE OF COLUMBUS INTO 
HARBOR BOBADILLA'S SQUADRON AND ITS FATE COL- 
UMBUS SAILS WESTWARD DISCOVERS HONDURAS, AND 

COASTS ALONG ITS SHORES THE SEARCH FOR GOLD 

COLONY ATTEMPTED AND ABANDONED THE VESSELS 

BECOME UNSEAWORTHY REFUGE AT JAMAICA MUTINY 

LED BY THE BROTHERS PORRAS MESSAGES TO SAN 

DOMINGO THE ECLIPSE ARRIVAL OF RELIEF CO- 
LUMBUS RETURNS TO SAN DOMINGO, AND TO SPAIN. 

It seems a pity now that, after his third voyage, 
Columbus did not remain in Spain and enjoy, as 
an old man could, the honors which he had earned 
and the respect which now waited upon him. Had 
this been so, the world would have been spared 
the mortification which attends the thought that 
the old man to whom it owes so much suffered 
almost everything in one last effort, failed in that 
effort, and died with the mortification of failure. 
But it is to be remembered that Columbus was 

240 



A FOURTH EXPEDITION PROPOSED. 241 

not a man to cultivate the love of leisure. He 
had no love of leisure to cultivate. His life had 
been an active one. He had attempted the solu- 
tion of a certain problem which he had not solved, 
and every day of leisure, even every occasion of 
effort and every word of flattery, must have 
quickened in him new wishes to take the prize 
which seemed so near, and to achieve the pos- 
sibility which had thus far eluded him. 

From time to time, therefore, he had addressed 
new memorials to the sovereigns proposing a new 
expedition ; and at last, by an instruction which is 
dated on the fourteenth of March, in the year 
1502, a fourth voyage was set on foot at 
the charge of the king and queen, — an in- 
struction not to stop at Hispaniola, but, for the 
saving of time, to pass by that island. This is 
a graceful way of intimating to him that he is 
not to mix himself up with the rights and wrongs 
of the new settlement. 

The letter goes on to say, that the sovereigns 
have communicated with the King of Portugal, 
and that they have explained to him that Colum- 
bus is pressing his discoveries at the west, and 

16 



242 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

will not interfere with those of the Portugese in 
the east. He is instructed to regard the Portugese 
explorers as his friends, and to make no quarrel 
with them. He is instructed to take with him his 
sons, Fernando and Diego. This is probably at 
his request. 

The prime object of the instruction is still to 
strike the mainland of the Indies. All the in- 
structions are, " You will make a direct voyage, 
if the weather does not prevent you, for dis- 
covering the islands and the mainland of the 
Indies in that part which belongs to us." He is 
to take possession of these islands and of this 
mainland, and to inform the sovereigns in re- 
gard to his discoveries, and the experience of 
former voyages has taught them that great care 
must be taken to avoid private speculation in 
" gold, silver, pearls, precious stones, spices and 
other things of different quality." For this pur- 
pose special instructions are given. 

Of this voyage we have Columbus's own offi- 
cial account. 

There were four vessels, three of which were 
rated as caravels. The fourth was very small. 



* 



VESSELS OF THE FOURTH EXPEDITION. 243 

The chief vessel was commanded by Diego 
Tristan ; the second, the Santiago, by Francisco 
de Porras ; the third, the Viscaina (Biscayan), by 
Bartholomew de Fiesco ; and the little Gallician 
by Pedro de Torreros. None of these vessels, 
as the reader will see, was ever to return to 
Spain. From de Porras and his brother, Colum- 
bus and the expedition were to receive disastrous 
blows. 

It must be observed that he is once more in 
his proper position of a discoverer. He has no 
government or other charge of colonies entrusted 
to him. His brother Bartholomew and his youngest 
son Fernando, sail with him. 

The little squadron sailed from the bay of Cadiz 
on the eleventh of May, 1502. They touched at 
Sicilla, — a little port on the coast of Morocco, — 
to relieve its people, a Portuguese garrison, who 
had been besieged by the Moors. But finding 
them out of danger, Columbus went at once to 
the Grand Canary island, and had a favorable 
passage. 

From the Grand Canary to the island which 
he calls "the first island of the Indies," and 



244 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

which he named Martinino, his voyage was only 
seventeen days long. This island was either the 
St. Lucia or the Martinique of today. Hence he 
passed to Dominica, and thence crossed to San 
Domingo, to make repairs, as he said. For, as 
has been said, he had been especially ordered not 
to interfere in the affairs of the settlement. 

He did not disobey his orders. He says dis- 
tinctly that he intended to pass along the southern 
shore of San Domingo, and thence take a depart- 
ure for the continent. But he says, that his princi- 
pal vessel sailed very ill — could not carry much 
canvas, and delayed the rest of the squadron. 
This weakness must have increased after the 
voyage across the ocean. For this reason he 
hoped to exchange it for another ship at San 
Domingo. 

But he did not enter the harbor. He sent a 
letter to Ovando, now the governor, and asked 
his permission. He added, to the request he made, 
a statement that a tempest was at hand which he 
did not like to meet in the offing. Ovando, how- 
ever, refused any permission to enter. He was, 
in fact, just dispatching a fleet to Spain, with 



BOBADILLA IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. 245 

Bobadilla, Columbus's old enemy, whom Ovando 
had replaced in his turn. 

Columbus, in an eager wish to be of use, by a 
returning messenger begged Ovando to delay 
this fleet till the gale had passed. But the sea- 
men ridiculed him and his gale, and begged 
Ovando to send the fleet home. • 

He did so. Bobadilla and his fleet put to 
sea. In ten days a West India hurricane struck 
them. The ship on which Columbus's enemies, 
Bobadilla and Roldan, sailed, was sunk with them 
and the gold accumulated for years. Of the whole 
fleet, only one vessel, called the weakest of all, 
reached Spain. This ship carried four thousand 
pieces of gold, which were the property of the 
Admiral. Columbus's own little squadron, mean- 
while — thanks probably to the seamanship of 
himself and his brother — weathered the storm, and 
he found refuge in the harbor which he had him- 
self named " the beautiful," El Hermoso, in the 
western part of San Domingo. 

Another storm delayed him at a port which he 
called Port Brasil. The word Brasil was the name 
which the Spaniards gave to the red log- wood, so 



246 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

valuable in dyeing, and various places received 
that name, where this wood was found. The name 
is derived from " Brasas," — coals, — in allusion, 
probably, to the bright red color of the dye. 

Sailing from this place, on Saturday, the six- 
teenth of June, they made sight of the island of 
Jamaica, but he pressed on without making any 
examination of the country, for four days sailing 
west and south-west. He then changed his course, 
and sailed for two days to the northwest and again 
two days to the north. 

On Sunday, the twenty fourth of July, they saw 
land. This was the key now known as Cuyago, and 
they were at last close upon the mainland. After 
exploring this island they sailed again on Wednes- 
day, the twenty-seventh, southwest and quarter 
southwest about ninety miles, and again they saw 
land, which is supposed to be the island of Guanaja 
or Bonacca, near the coast of Honduras. 

The Indians on this island had some gold and 
some pearls. They had seen whites before. Co- 
lumbus calls them men of good stature. Sailing 
from this island, he struck the mainland near 
Truxillo, about ten leagues from the island of 



LACK OF HARBORS ON THE MAINLAND. 247 

Guanaja. He soon found the harbor, which we 
still know as the harbor of Truxillo, and from 
this point Columbus began a careful investigation 
of the coast. 

He observed, what all navigators have since 
observed, the lack of harbors. He passed along as 
far as the river now known as the Tinto, where he 
took possession in the name of the sovereigns, 
calling this river the River of Possession, He 
found the natives savage, and the country of little 
account for his purposes. Still passing south- 
ward, he passed what we call the Mosquito Coast, 
to which he found the natives gave the name of 
Cariay. 

These people were well disposed and willing to 
treat with them. They had some cotton, they had 
some gold. They wore very little clothing, and 
they painted their bodies, as most of the natives 
of the islands had done. He saw what he thought 
to be pigs and large mountain cats. 

Still passing southward, running into such bays 
or other harbors as they found, he entered the 
" Admiral's Bay," in a country which had the name 
of Cerabaro, or Zerabora. Here an Indian brought 



248 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

a plate of gold and some other pieces of gold, and 
Columbus was encouraged in his hopes of finding- 
more. 

The natives told him that if he would keep 
on he would find another bay which they called 
Arburarno, which is supposed to be the Laguna 
Chiriqui. They said the people, of that country, 
lived in the mountains. Here Columbus noticed 
the fact, — one which has given to philologists 
one of their central difTficulties for four hundred 
years since, — that as he passed from one point to 
another of the American shores, the Indians did 
not understand each other's language. " Every 
ten or twenty leagues they did not understand 
each other." In entering the river Veragua, 
the Indians appeared armed with lances and 
arrows, some of them having gold also. Here, 
also, the people did not live upon the shore, but 
two or three leagues back in the interior, and they 
only came to the sea by their canoes upon the 
rivers. 

The next province was then called Cobraba, 
but Columbus made no landing for want of a 
proper harbor. All his courses since he struck 



THE FLEET AT ANCHOR IN PUERTO BELLO. 249 

the continent had been in a southeasterly direc- 
tion. That an expedition for westward discovery 
should be sailing eastward, seemed in itself a con- 
tradiction. What irritated the crews still more 
was, that the wind seemed always against them. 

From the second to the ninth of November, 
1502, the little fleet lay at anchor in the spacious 
harbor, which he called Puerto Bello, " the beauti- 
ful harbor." It is still known by that name. A 
considerable Spanish city grew up there, which 
became well known to the world in the last cen- 
tury by the attack upon it by the English in the 
years 1739 and 1742. 

The formation of the coast compelled them to 
pass eastward as they went on. But the currents 
of the Gulf flow in the opposite direction. Here 
there were steady winds from the east and the north- 
east. The ships were pierced by the teredo, which 
eats through thick timbers, and is so destructive 
that the seamen of later times have learned to 
sheath the hulls of their vessels with copper. 

The seamen thought that they were under the 
malign influence of some adverse spell. And 
after a month Columbus gave way to- their 



250 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

remonstrances, and abandoned his search for a 
channel to India. He was the more ready to do 
this because he was satisfied that the land by 
which he lay was connected with the coast which 
other Spaniards had already discovered. He 
therefore sailed westward again, retracing his 
course to explore the gold mines of Veragua. 

But the winds could change as quickly as his 
purposes, and now for nearly a fortnight they had 
to fight a tropical tempest. At one moment they 
met with a water-spout, which seemed to advance 
to them directly. The sailors, despairing of human 
help, shouted passages from St. John, and to their 
efficacy ascribed their escape. It was not until 
the seventeenth that they found themselves safely 
in harbor. He gave to the whole coast the name 
of "the coast of contrasts," to preserve the mem- 
ory of his disappointments. 

The natives proved friendly, as he had found 
them before ; but they told him that he would find 
no more gold upon the coast ; that the mines were 
in the country of the Veragua. It was on the tenth 
day of January that, after some delay, Columbus 
entered again the river of that name. 



SEARCH FOR GOLD REWARDED. 251 

The people told him where he should find the 
mines, and were all ready to send guides with his 
own people to point them out. He gave to this 
river, the name of the River of Belen, and to the 
port in which he anchored he gave the name of 
Santa Maria de Belen, or Bethlehem. 

His men discovered the mines, so called, at a 
distance of eight leagues from the port. The 
country between was difficult, being mountainous 
and crossed by many streams. They were 
obliged to pass the river of Veragua thirty-nine 
times. The Indians themselves were dexterous in 
taking out gold. Columbus added to their num- 
ber seventy-five men. 

In one day's work, they obtained "two or three 
castellianos " without much difficulty. A castelliano 
was a gold coin of the time, and the meaning 
of the text is probably that each man obtained 
this amount. It was one of the " placers," such as 
have since proved so productive in different parts 
of the world. 

Columbus satisfied himself that there was a 
much larger population inland. He learned from 
the Indians that the cacique, as he always calls 



252 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

the chief of these tribes, was a most important 
monarch in that region. His houses were larger 
than others, buih handsomely of wood, covered 
with palm leaves. 

The product of all the gold collected thus far 
is stated precisely in the official register. There 
were two hundred and twenty pieces of gold, 
large and small. Altogether they weighed seventy- 
two ounces, seven-eighths of an ounce and one 
grain. Besides these were twelve pieces, great 
and small, of an inferior grade of gold, which 
weighed fourteen ounces, three-eighths of an ounce, 
and six tomienes, a tomiene weighing one-third 
part of our drachm. In round numbers then, we will 
say that the result in gold of this cruising would 
be now worth ^1,500. 

Columbus collected gold in this way, to make 
his expedition popular at home, and he had, in- 
deed, mortgaged the voyage, so to speak, by 
pledging the pecuniary results, as a fund to bear 
the expense of a new crusade. But, for himself, 
the prime desire was always discovery. 

Eventually the Spaniards spent two months in 
that region, pressing their explorations in search 



THE NATIVES OPPOSE THE COLONISTS. 253 

of gold. And so promising did the tokens seem to 
him, that he determined to leave his brother, to 
secure the country and work the mines, while 
he should return to Spain, with the gold he had 
collected, and obtain reinforcements and supplies. 
But all these fond hopes were disappointed. 

The natives, under a leader named Quibian, 
rallied in large numbers, probably intending to 
drive the colonists away. It was only by the 
boldest measures that their plans were met. 
When Columbus supposed that he had suppressed 
their enterprise, he took leave of his brother, as 
he had intended, leaving him but one of the four 
vessels. 

Fortunately, as it proved, the wind did not 
serve. He sent back a boat to communicate 
with the settlement, but it fell into the hands 
of the savages. Doubtful as to the issue, a sea- 
man, named Ledesma, volunteered to swim 
through the surf, and communicate with the 
settlement. The brave fellow succeeded. By 
passing through the surf again, he brought back 
the news that the little colony was closely be- 
sieged by the savages. 



254 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

It seemed clear that the settlement must be 
abandoned, that Columbus's brother and his 
people must be taken back to Spain. This 
course was adopted. With Infinite difficulty, the 
guns and stores which had been left with the 
colony were embarked on the vessels of the Ad- 
miral. The caravel which had been left for the 
colony could not be taken from the river. She 
was completely dismantled, and was left as the 
only memorial of this unfortunate colony. 

At Puerto Bello he was obliged to leave another 
vessel, for she had been riddled by the teredo. 
The two which he had were in wretched condition. 
" They were as full of holes as a honey-comb." 
On the southern coast of Cuba, Columbus was 
obliged to supply them with cassava bread. The 
leaks increased. The ships' pumps were insuf- 
ficient, and the men bailed out the water with 
buckets and kettles. On the twentieth of June, 
they were thankful to put into a harbor, called 
Puerto Bueno, on the coast of Jamaica, where, as 
it proved, they eventually left their worthless ves- 
sels, and where they were in exile from the 
world of civilization for twelve months. 



JEALOUSY OF AMBITIOUS COUNTRYMEN. 255 

Nothing in history is more pathetic than the 
memory that such a waste of a year, in the clos- 
ing Hfe of such a man as Columbus, should have 
been permitted by the jealousy, the cruelty, or the 
selfish ambition of inferior men. 

He was not far from the colony at San Domingo. 
As the reader will see, he was able to send a mes- 
sage to his countrymen there. But those country- 
men left him to take his chances against a strong 
tribe of savages. Indeed, they would not have 
been sorry to know that he was dead. 

At first, however, he and his men welcomed the 
refuge of the harbor. It was the port which he 
had called Santa Gloria, on his first visit there. 
He was at once surrounded by Indians, ready to 
barter with them and bring them provisions. The 
poor Spaniards were hungry enough to be glad 
of this relief. 

Mendez, a spirited sailor, had the oversight of 
this trade, and in one negotiation, at some dis- 
tance from the vessels, he bought a good canoe 
of a friendly chief. For this he gave a brass basin, 
one of his two shirts, and a short jacket. On 
this canoe turned their after fortunes. Columbus 



256 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

refitted her, put on a false keel, furnished her 
with a mast and sail. 

With six Indians, whom the chief had lent him, 
Diego Mendez, accompanied by only one Spanish 
companion, set sail in this little craft for San 
Domingo. Columbus sent by them a letter to 
the sovereigns, which gives the account of the 
voyage which the reader has been following. 

When Mendez was a hundred miles advanced 
on his journey, he met a band of hostile savages. 
They had affected friendship until they had the 
adventurers in their power, when they seized them 
all. But while the savages were quarreling about 
the spoils, Mendez succeeded in escaping to his 
canoe, and returned alone to his master after 
fifteen days. 

It was determined that the voyage should be 
renewed. But this time, another canoe was sent 
with that under the command of Mendez. He 
sailed again, storing his boats with cassava bread 
and calabashes of water. Bartholomew Colum- 
bus, with his armed band, marched along the 
coast, as the two canoes sailed along the 
shore. 



SEDITION OF PORRAS AND HIS BROTHER. 257 

Waiting then for a clear day, Mendez struck 
northward, on the passage, which was long for 
such frail craft, to San Domingo. It was eight 
months before Columbus heard of them. Of 
those eight months, the history is of dismal waiting, 
mutiny and civil war. It is pathetic, indeed, that 
a little body of men, who had been, once and 
again, saved from death in the most remarkable 
way, could not live on a fertile island, in a beautiful 
climate, without quarrelling with each other. 

Two officers of Columbus, Porras and his brother, 
led the sedition. They told the rest of the crew 
that the Admiral's hope of relief from Mendez 
was a mere delusion. They said that he was an 
exile from Spain, and that he did not dare return 
to Hispaniola. In such ways they sought to rouse 
his people against him and his brother. As for 
Columbus, he was sick on board his vessel, while 
the two brothers Porras were working against him 
among his men. 

On the second of January, 1504, Francesco 
de Porras broke into the cabin. He complained 
bitterly that they were kept to die in that de- 
solate place, and accused the Admiral as If it 

17 



258 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

were his fault. He told Columbus, that they had 
determined to go back to Spain ; and then, 
lifting his voice, he shouted, " I am for Castile ; 
who will follow me ?" The mutinous crew Instantly 
replied that they would do so. Voices were heard 
which threatened Columbus's life. 

His brother, the Adelantado, persuaded Colum- 
bus to retire from the crowd and himself assumed 
the whole weight of the assault. The loyal part of 
the crew, however, persuaded him to put down his 
weapon, and on the other hand, entreated Porras 
and his companions to depart. It was clear 
enough that they had the power, and they tried to 
carry out their plans. 

They embarked In ten canoes, and thus the 
Admiral was abandoned by forty-eight of his men. 
They followed, to the eastward, the route which 
Mendez had taken. In their lawless way they 
robbed the Indians of their provisions and of any- 
thing else that they needed. As Mendez had 
done, they waited at the eastern extremity of 
Jamaica for calm weather. They knew they 
could not manage the canoes, and they had sev- 
eral Indians to help them. 



CRUELTY IN A CONTRARY WIND. 259 

When the sea was smooth they started; but they 
had hardly gone four leagues from the land, when 
the waves began to rise under a contrary wind. 
Immediately they turned for shore, the canoes were 
overfreighted, and as the sea rose, frequently 
shipped water. 

The frightened Spaniards threw overboard 
everything they could spare, retaining their arms 
only, and a part of their provisions. They even 
compelled the Indians to leap into the sea to 
lighten the boats, but, though they were skillful 
swimmers, they could not pretend to make land 
by swimming. They kept to the canoes, there- 
fore, and would occasionally seize them to re- 
cover breath. The cruel Spaniards cut off their 
hands and stabbed them with their swords. Thus 
eighteen of their Indian comrades died, and they 
had none left, but such as were of most help in 
managing the canoes. Once on land, they doubted 
whether to make another effort or to return to 
Columbus. 

Eventually they waited a month, for another 
opportunity to go to Hispaniola; but this failed as 
before, and losing all patience, they returned 



260 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

westward, to the commander whom they had in- 
suhed, living on the island " by fair means or 
foul," according as they found the natives friendly 
or unfriendly. 

Columbus, meanwhile, with his half the crew, 
was waiting. He had established as good order 
as he could between his men and the natives, but 
he was obliged to keep a strict watch over such 
European food as he still had, knowing how nec- 
essary it was for the sick men in his number. On 
the other hand, the Indians, wholly unused to 
regular work, found it difficult to supply the food 
which so many men demanded. 

The supplies fell off from day to day ; the 
natives no longer pressed down to the harbor ; 
the trinkets, with which food had been bought, 
had lost their charm ; the Spaniards began to 
fear that they should starve on the shore of an 
island which, when Columbus discovered it, ap- 
peared to be the abode of plenty. It was at 
this juncture, when the natives were becoming 
more and more unfriendly, that Columbus jus- 
tified himself by the tyrant's plea of necessity, 
and made use of his astronomical science, to 



CONFERENCE OF THE CACIQUES. 261 

obtain a supernatural power over his unfriendly 
allies. 

He sent his Interpreter to summon the principal 
caciques to a conference. For this conference he 
appointed a day when he knew that a total eclipse 
of the moon would take place. The chiefs met as 
they were requested. He told them that he and 
his followers worshipped a God who lived in the 
heavens ; that that God favored such as did well, 
but punished all who displeased him. 

He asked them to remember how this God had 
protected Mendez and his companions in their voy- 
age, because they went obedient to the orders which 
had been given them by their chief. He asked 
them to remember that the same God had punished 
Porras and his companions with all sorts of afflic- 
tion, because they were rebels. He said that now 
this great God was angry with the Indians, because 
they refused to furnish food to his faithful wor- 
shippers ; that he proposed to chastise them with 
famine and pestilence. 

He said that, lest they should disbelieve the 
warning which he gave, a sign would be given, in 
the heavens that night, of the anger of the great 



262 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

God. They would see that the moon would change 
its color and would lose its light. They might 
take this as a token of the punishment which 
awaited them. 

The Indians had not that confidence in Colum- 
bus which they once had. Some derided what he 
said, some were alarmed, all waited with anxiety 
and curiosity. When the night came they saw a 
dark shadow begin to steal over the moon. As 
the eclipse went forward, their fears increased. 
At last the mysterious darkness covered the face 
of the sky and of the world, when they knew that 
they had a right to expect the glory of the full 
moon. 

There were then no bounds to their terror. 
They seized on all the provisions that they had, 
they rushed to the ships, they threw themselves 
at the feet of Columbus and beesfed him to in- 
tercede with his God, to withhold the calamity 
which he had threatened. Columbus would not 
receive them ; he shut himself up in his cabin and 
remained there while the eclipse increased, hear- 
ing from within, as the narrator says, the howls 
and prayers of the savages. 



A CONSPIRACY FORMED. 263 

It was not until he knew the edipse was about 
to diminish, that he condescended to come forth, 
and told them that he had interceded with God, 
who would pardon them if they would fulfil their 
promises. In token of pardon, the darkness 
would be withdrawn from the moon. 

The Indians saw the fulfilment of the promise, 
as they had seen the fulfilment of the threat. 
The moon reappeared in its brilliancy. They 
thanked, the Admiral eagerly for his intercession, 
and repaired to their homes. From this time 
forward, having proved that he knew on earth 
what was passing in the heavens, they propitiated 
him with their gifts. The supplies came in regu- 
larly, and from this time there was no longer any 
want of provisions. 

But no tales of eclipses would keep the Spaniards 
quiet. Another conspiracy was formed, as the 
eight remaining months of exile passed by, among 
the survivors. They meant to seize the remain- 
ing canoes, and with them make their way to His- 
paniola. But, at the very point of the outbreak 
of the new mutiny, a sail was seen standing 
toward the harbor. 



264 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

The Spaniards could see that the vessel was 
small. She kept the offing, but sent a boat on 
shore. As the boat drew near, those who waited 
so eag-erly recognized Escobar, who had been con- 
demned to death, in Isabella, when Columbus was 
in administration, and was pardoned by his suc- 
cessor Bobadilla. To see this man approaching 
for their relief was not hopeful, though he were 
called a Christian, and was a countryman of their 
own. 

Escobar drew up to the ships, on which the 
Spaniards still lived, and gave them a letter from 
Ovando, the new governor of Hispaniola, with 
some bacon and a barrel of wine, which were 
sent as presents to the Admiral. He told Colum- 
bus, in a private interview, that the governor had 
sent him to express his concern at his misfortune, 
and his regret that he had not a vessel of suf- 
ficient size to bring off all the people, but that he 
would send one as soon as possible. He assured 
him that his concerns in Hispaniola were at- 
tended to faithfully in his absence ; he asked him 
to write to the governor in reply, as he wished to 
return at once. 



THE SPANIARDS IN DISMAY. 265 

This was but scant comfort for men who had 
been eight months waiting to be reheved. But 
Escobar was master of the position. Columbus 
wrote a reply at once to Ovando, pointed out 
that the difficulties of his situation had been 
increased by the rebellion of the brothers Porras. 
He, however, expressed his reliance on his promise, 
and said he would remain patiently on his ships 
until relief came, Escobar took the letter, re- 
turned to his vessel, and she made sail at once, 
leaving the starving Spaniards in dismay, to the 
same fate which hung over them before. 

Columbus tried to reassure them. He pro- 
fessed himself satisfied with the communications 
from Ovando, and told them that vessels large 
enough for them would soon arrive. He said 
that they could see that he believed this, because 
he had not himself taken passage with Escobar, 
preferring to share their lot with them. He 
had sent back the little vessel at once, so that 
no time might be lost in sending the necessary 
ships. 

With these assurances he cheered their hearts. 
In truth, however, he was very indignant at 



266 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

Ovando's cool behavior. That he should have 
left them for months in danger and uncertainty, 
with a mere tantalizing message and a scanty 
present of food — all this naturally made the great 
leader indignant. He believed that Ovando hoped 
that he might perish on the island. 

He supposed that Ovando thought that this 
would be favorable for his own political prospects, 
and he believed that Escobar was sent merely as 
a spy. This same impression is given by Las 
Casas, the historian, who was then at San Do- 
mingo. He says that Escobar was chosen simply 
because of his enmity to Columbus, and that he 
was ordered not to land, nor to hold conversation 
with any of the crew, nor to receive letters from 
any except the Admiral. 

After Escobar's departure, Columbus sent an 
embassy on shore to communicate with the rebel 
party, who were living on the island. He offered 
to them free pardon, kind treatment, and a 
passage with him in the ships which he expected 
from Ovando, and, as a token of good will, he 
sent them a part of the bacon which Escobar had 
brought them. 



PORRAS AND THE AMBASSADORS. 267 

Francesco de Porras met these ambassadors, 
and replied that they had no wish to return to the 
ships, but preferred Hving- at large. They offered 
to engage that they would be peaceable, if the 
Admiral would promise them solemnly, that, in 
case two vessels arrived, they should have one to 
depart in ; that if only one vessel arrived they 
should have half of it, and that the Admiral would 
now share with them the stores and articles of 
traffic, which he had left in the ship. But these 
demands Columbus refused to accept. 

Porras had spoken for the rebels, but they were 
not so well satisfied with the answer. The inci- 
dent gave occasion for what was almost an out- 
break among them. Porras attempted to hold 
them in hand, by assuring them that there had 
been no real arrival of Escobar. He told them 
that there had been no vessel in port ; that what 
had been seen was a mere phantasm conjured up 
by Columbus, who was deeply versed in necro- 
mancy. 

He reminded them that the vessel arrived 
just in the edge of the evening ; that it communi- 
cated with Columbus only, and then disappeared 



268 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

in the night. Had it been a real vessel would he 
not have embarked, with his brother and his son ? 
Was it not clear that it was only a phantom, 
v/hich appeared for a moment and then vanished ? 

Not satisfied, however, with his control over his 
men, he marched them to a point near the ships, 
hoping to plunder the stores and to take the 
Admiral prisoner. Columbus, however, had notice 
of the approach of this marauding party, and his 
brother and fifty followers, of whose loyalty he 
was sure, armed themselves and marched to meet 
them. The Adelantado again sent ambassadors, 
the same whom he had sent before with the offer 
of pardon, but Porras and his companions would 
not permit them to approach. 

They determined to offer battle to the fifty 
loyal men, thinking to attack and kill the Ade- 
lantado himself. They rushed upon him and his 
party, but at the first shock four or five of them 
were killed. 

The Adelantado, with his own hand, killed 
Sanchez, one of the most powerful men among the 
rebels. Porras attacked him in turn, and with his 
sword cut his buckler and wounded his hand. 



THE INDIANS AMAZED. 269 

The sword, however, was wedged in die shield, 
and before Porras could withdraw it, the Ade- 
lantado closed upon him and made him prisoner. 
When the rebels saw this result of the conflict, 
they fled in confusion. 

The Indians, meanwhile, amazed at this conflict 
among men who had descended from heaven, 
gazed with wonder at the battle. When it was 
over, they approached the field, and looked with 
amazement on the dead bodies of the beings whom 
they had thought immortal. It is said, however, 
that at the mere sound of a groan from one of the 
wounded they fled in dismay. 

The Adelantado returned in triumph to the 
ships. He brought with him his prisoners. Only 
two of his party had been wounded, himself and 
his steward. The next day the remaining fugi- 
tives sent in a petition to the Admiral, confessing 
their misdeeds and asking for pardon. 

He saw that their union was broken ; he granted 
their prayer, on the single condition that Francesco 
de Porras should remain a prisoner. He did not 
receive them on board the ships, but put them 
under the command of a loyal ofiicer, to whom he 



270 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

gave a sufficient number of articles for trade, to 
purchase food of the natives. 

This battle, for it was such, was the last critical 
incident in the long exile of the Spaniards, for, 
after a year of hope and fear, two vessels were 
seen standing into the harbor. One of them was 
a ship equipped, at Columbus's own expense, by 
the faithful Mendez ; the other had been fitted out 
afterwards by Ovando, but had sailed in com- 
pany with the first vessel of relief. 

It would seem that the little public of Isabella 
had been made indignant by Ovando's neglect, 
and that he had been compelled, by public opinion 
to send another vessel as a companion to that sent 
by Mendez. Mendez himself, having seen the 
ships depart, went to Spain in the interest of the 
Admiral. 

With the arrival at Puerto Bueno, in Jamaica, 
of the two relief vessels, Columbus's chief suffer- 
ings and anxiety were over. The responsibility, 
at least, was in other hands. But the passage to 
San Dominofo consumed six tedious weeks. When 
he arrived, however, it was to meet one of his 
triumphs. He could hardly have expected it. 



COLUMBUS THE GUEST OF OVANDO. 271 

But his sufferings, and the sense of wrong that 
he had suffered, had, in truth, awakened the regard 
of the people of the colony. Ovando took him as 
a guest to his house. The people received him 
with distinction. 

He found little to gratify him, however. Ovando 
had ruled the poor natives with a rod of iron, and 
they were wretched. Columbus's own affairs had 
been neglected, and he could gain no relief from 
the governor. He spent only a month on the 
island, trying, as best he could, to bring some 
order into the administration of his own property ; 
and then, on the twelfth of September, 1504, sailed 
for Spain. 

Scarcely had the ship left harbor when she was 
dismasted in a squall. He was obliged to cross 
to another ship, under command of his brother, 
the Adelantado. She also was unfortunate. 
Her mainmast was sprung in a storm, and she 
could not go on until the mast was shortened. 

In another gale the foremast was sprung, and it 
was only on the seventh of November that the 
shattered and storm-pursued vessel arrived at San 
Lucar. Columbus himself had been suffering, 



272 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

through the voyage, from gout and his other 
maladies. The voyage was, indeed, a harsh 
experience for a sick man, almost seventy years 
old. 

He went at once to Seville, to find such rest as 
he might, for body and mind. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

TWO SAD YEARS — ISABELLA'S DEATH COLUMBUS AT SEVILLE 

HIS ILLNESS LETTERS TO THE KING JOURNEYS TO 

SEGOVIA, SALAMANCA, AND VALLADOLID HIS SUIT 

THERE PHILIP AND JUANA COLUMBUS EXECUTES HIS 

WILL DIES HIS BURIAL AND THE RE.MOVAL OF HIS 

BODY HIS PORTRAITS HIS CHARACTER. 

Columbus had been absent from Spain two 
years and six months. He returned broken in 
health, and the remalnino- two years of his life are 
only the sad history of his effort to relieve his 
name from dishonor and to leave to his sons a 
fair opportunity to carry forward his work in the 
world. 

Isabella, alas, died on the twenty-sixth day of 
November, only a short time after his arrival. 
Ferdinand, at the least, was cold and hard toward 
him, and Ferdinand was now engaged in many 
affairs other than those of discovery. He was 
satisfied that Columbus did not know how to 
bring gold home from the colonies, and the 

18 273 



274 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

promises of the last voyage, that they should strike 
the East, had not been fulfilled. 

Isabella had testified her kindly memory of 
Columbus, even while he was in exile at Jamaica, 
by making him one of the body-guard of her 
oldest son, an honorary appointment which carried 
with it a handsome annual salary. After the return 
to Spain of Diego Mendez, the loyal friend who 
had cared for his interests so well in San Domingo, 
she had raised him to noble rank. 

It is clear, therefore, that among her last 
thoughts came in the wish to do justice to him 
whom she had served so well. She had well done 
he duty which had been given her to do. She 
had never forgotten the new world to which it 
was her good fortune to send the discoverer, 
and in her death that discoverer lost his best 
friend. 

On his arrival in Seville, where one might say 
he had a right to rest himself and do nothing else, 
Columbus enoaqred at once in efforts to see that 
the seamen who had accompanied him in this last 
adventure should be properly paid. Many of these 
men had been disloyal to him and unfaithful to 



HIS FINANCIAL CONDITION. 275 

their sovereign, but Columbus, with his own mag- 
nanimity, represented eagerly at court that they 
had endured great peril, that they brought great 
news, and that the king ought to repay them all 
that they had earned. 

He says, in a letter to his son written at this 
period, "I have not a roof over my head in Cas- 
tile. I have no place to eat nor to sleep excepting 
a tavern, and there I am often too poor to pay my 
scot." This passage has been quoted as if he were 
living as a beggar at this time, and the world has 
been asked to believe that a man who had a tenth 
of the revenue of the Indies due to him in some 
fashion, was actually living from hand to mouth 
from day to day. But this is a mere absurdity of 
exaggeration. 

Undoubtedly, he was frequently pressed for 
ready money. He says to his son, in another 
letter, "I only live by borrowing." Still he had 
good credit with the Genoese bankers estab- 
lished in Andalusia. In writing to his son he 
begs him to economize, but at the same time he 
acknowledges the receipt of bills of exchange and 
considerable sums of money. 



276 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

In the month of December, there is a single 
transaction in Hispaniola which amounts to five 
thousand dollars of our money. We must not, 
therefore, take literally his statement that he was 
too poor to pay for a night's lodging. On the 
other hand, it is observed in the correspondence 
that, on the fifteenth of April, 1505, the king 
ordered that everything which belonged to Colum- 
bus on account of his ten per cent should be 
carried to the royal treasury as a security for 
certain debts contracted by the Admiral. 

The king had also given an order to the royal 
agent in Hispaniola that everything which he 
owned there should be sold. All these details 
have been carefully brought together by Mr. 
Harrisse, who says truly that we cannot under- 
stand the last order. 

When at last the ofificial proceedings relating to 
the affairs in Jamaica arrived in Europe, Columbus 
made an effort to go to court. A litter was pro- 
vided for him, and all the preparations for his 
journey made. But he was obliged once more 
by his weakness to give up this plan, and he 
could only write letters pressing his claim. Of 



HIS INCREASING FEEBLENESS. 277 

such letters the misfortune is, that the longer they 
are, and the more of the detail they give, the less 
likely are they to be read, Columbus could only 
write at night ; in the daytime he could not use 
his hands. 

He took care to show Ferdinand that his inter- 
ests had not been properly attended to in the 
islands. He said that Ovando had been careless 
as to the king's service, and he was not unwilling 
to let it be understood that his own administration 
had been based on a more intelligent policy than 
that of either of the men who followed him. 

But he was now an old man. He was unable 
to go to court in person. He had not succeeded 
in that which he had sailed for — a strait opening 
to the Southern Sea, He had discovered new gold 
mines on the continent, but he had brought home 
but little treasure. His answers from the court 
seemed to him formal and unsatisfactory. At 
court, the stories of the Porras brothers were told 
on the one side, while Diego Mendez and Carvajal 
represented Columbus. 

In this period of the fading life of Columbus, 
we have eleven letters addressed by him to his 



278 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

son. These show that he was in Seville as 
late as February, 1505. From the authority 
of Las Casas, we know that he left that part of 
Spain to go to Segovia in the next May, and 
from that place he followed the court to Sala- 
manca and Valladolid, although he was so weak 
and ill. 

He was received, as he had always been, with 
professions of kindness ; but nothing followed 
important enough to show that there was any- 
thing genuine in this cordiality. After a few days 
Columbus besfsfed that some action miorht be 
taken to indemnify him for his losses, and to con- 
firm the promises which had been made to him 
before. The king replied that he was willing to 
refer all points which had been discussed between 
them to an arbitration. Columbus assented, and 
proposed the Archbishop Diego de Deza as an 
arbiter. 

The reader must remember that it was he 
who had assisted Columbus in early days when 
the inquiry was made at Salamanca, The king 
assented to the arbitration, but proposed that it 
should include questions which Columbus would 



HE ASKS FAVORS FOR HIS SON. 279 

not consider as doubtful. One of these was his 
restoration to his office of viceroy. 

Now on the- subject of his dignities Columbus 
was tenacious. He regarded everything else as 
unimportant in comparison. He would not admit 
that there was any question that he was the vice- 
roy of the Indies, and all this discussion ended in 
the postponement of all consideration of his claims 
till, after his death, it was too late for them to be 
considered. 

All the documents, when read with the interest 
which we take in his character and fortunes, are 
indeed pathetic ; but they did not seem so to the 
king, if indeed they ever met his eye. 

In despair of obtaining justice for himself, Co- 
lumbus asked that his son Dieoro miorht be sent to 

o o 

Hispaniola in his place. The king would promise 
nothing, but seems to have attempted to make 
Columbus exchange the privileges which he en- 
joyed by the royal promise for a seignory in a 
little town in the kingdom of Leon, which is named 
not improperly "The Counts' Carrion." 

It is interesting to see that one of the persons 
whom he employed, in pressing his claim at the 



280 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

court and in the manag-ement of his affairs, was 
Vespucci, the Florentine merchant, who in early 
life had been known as Alberigo, but had now 
taken the name of Americo. 

The king was still engaged in the affairs of the 
islands. He appointed bishops to take charge of 
the churches in the colonies, but Columbus was 
not so much as consulted as to the persons who 
should be sent. When Philip arrived from 
Flanders, with his wife Juana, who was the heir of 
Isabella's fortunes and crown, Columbus wished 
to pay his court to them, but was too weak to do 
so in person. 

There is a manly letter, written with dignity and 
pathos, in which he presses his claims upon them. 
He commissioned his brother, the Adelantado, to 
take this letter, and with it he went to wait upon the 
young couple. They received him most cordially, 
and gave flattering hopes that they would attend 
favorably to the suit. But this was too late for 
Columbus himself. Immediately after he had sent 
his brother away, his illness increased in violence. 

The time for petitions and for answers to 
petitions had come to an end. His health 



SPECIFICATIONS IN HIS WILL, 281 

failed steadily, and in the month of May he 
knew that he was approaching- his death. The 
king- and the court had gone to Villafranca de 
Valcacar. 

On the nineteenth of May Columbus executed 
his will, which had been prepared at Segovia a 
year before. In this will he directs his son and 
his successors, acting as administrators, always 
to maintain "in the city of Genoa, some person 
of our line, who shall have a house and a wife in 
that place, who shall receive a sufficient income to 
live honorably, as being one of our relatives, 
having foot and root in the said city, as a native ; 
since he will be able to receive from this city aid 
in favor of the things of his service ; because from 
that city I came forth and in that city I was 
born." This clause became the subject of much 
litigation as the century went on. 

Another clause which was much contested was 
his direction to his son Dieofo to take care of 
Beatriz Enriquez, the mother of Fernando. Diego 
Is instructed to provide for her an honorable sub- 
sistence " as being a person to whom I have great 
obligation. What I do in this matter is to relieve 



282 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

my conscience, for this weighs much upon my 
mind. The reason of this cannot be written 
here." 

The history of the Htigation which followed 
upon this will and upon other documents which 
bear upon the fortunes of Columbus is curious, 
but scarcely interesting. The present represen- 
tative of Columbus is Don Cristobal Colon de la 
Cerda, Duke of Veragua and of La Vega, a 
grandee of Spain of the first class. Marquis of 
Jamaica, Admiral and Seneschal Major of the 
Indies, who lives at Madrid. 

Two dajs after the authentication of the will he 
died, on the twenty first of May, 1 506, which was 
the day of Ascension. His last words were those 
of his Saviour, expressed in the language of the 
Latin Testament, ''In manus tuas, Pater, com- 
mendo spiritum meum," — "Father, into thy hands 
I commend my spirit." The absence of the 
court from Valladolid took with it, perhaps, the 
historians and annalists. For this or for some 
other reason, there is no mention whatever of 
Columbus's funeral in any of the documents of the 
time. 



/ HIS BODY REMOVED TO SEVILLE. 283 

The body was laid in the convent of San Fran- 
cisco at Valladolid. Such at least is the supposi- 
tion of Navarrete, who has collected the original 
documents relating to Columbus. He supposes 
that the funeral services were conducted in the 
church of the parish of Santa Maria de la An- 
tigua. From the church of Saint Francis, not 
many months after, the body was removed to 
Seville. A new chapel had lately been built 
there, called Santa Maria de las Cuevas. In this 
chapel was the body of Columbus entombed. 
In a curious discussion of the subject, which has 
occupied much more space than it is worth, it is 
supposed that this was in the year 15 13, but 
Mr. Harrisse has proved that this date is not 
accurate. 

For at least twenty-eight years, the body was 
permitted to remain under the vaults of this 
chapel. Then a petition was sent to Charles V, 
for leave to carry the coffin and the body to San 
Domingo, that it might be buried in the larger 
chapel of the cathedral of that city. To this the 
emperor consented, in a decree signed June 2, 
1537. It is not known how soon the removal to 



284 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

San Domingo was really made, but it took place 
before many years. 

Mr. Harrisse quotes from a manuscript author- 
ity to show, that when William Penn besieged 
the city of San Domingo in 1655, all the bodies 
buried under the cathedral were withdrawn from 
view, lest the heretics should profane them, and 
that "the old Admiral's" body was treated Hke the 
rest. 

Mr. Harrisse calls to mind the fact that the 
earthquake of the nineteenth of May, 1673, 
demolished the cathedral in part, and the tombs 
which it contained. He says, "the ruin of the 
colony, the climate, weather, and carelessness 
all contributed to the loss from sight and the 
forgetfulness of the bones of Columbus, mingled 
with the dust of his descendants"; and Mr. Har- 
risse does not believe that any vestige of them 
was ever found afterwards, in San Domingo or 
anywhere else. This remark, from the person 
who has given such large attention to the subject, 
is interesting. For it is generally stated and 
believed that the bones were afterwards removed to 
Havana in the island of Cuba. The opinion of 



HONORS OF THE CHURCH PROPOSED FOR HIM. 285 

Mr. Harrisse, as it has been quoted, is entitled to 
very great respect and authority. 

A very curious question has arisen in later times 
as to the actual place where the remains now are. 
On this question there is great discussion among 
historians, and many reports, official and unofficial, 
have been published with regard to it. 

In the year 1867, the proposal was made to the 
Holy Father at Rome, that Columbus should 
receive the honors known in the Roman Catholic 
Church as the honors of beatification. In 1877, 
De Lorgues, the enthusiastic biographer of Co- 
lumbus, represents that the inquiry had gone so 
far that these honors had been determined on. 
One who reads his book would be led to suppose 
that Columbus had already been recognized as on 
the way to be made a saint of the Church. But, 
in truth, though some such inquiry was set on 
foot, he never received the formal honors of beat- 
ification. 



We have one account by a contemporary of the 
appearance of Columbus.* We are told that he 



* In the first Decade of Peter Martyr. 



286 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

was " a robust man, quite tall, of florid complex- 
ion, with a long face." 

In the next generation, Oviedo says Columbus 
was "of good aspect, and above the middle stat- 
ure. His limbs were strong, his eyes quick, and 
all the parts of his body well proportioned. His 
hair was decidedly reddish, and the complexion of 
his face quite florid and marked with spots of 
red." 

Bishop Las Casas knew the admiral personally, 
and describes him in these terms : " He was above 
the middle stature, his face was long and striking, 
his nose was aquiline, his eyes clear blue, his 
complexion light, tending towards a distinct florid 
expression, his beard and hair blonde in his 
youth, but they were blanched at an early age by 
care." 

Las Casas says in another place, "he was rude 
in bearing, and careless as to his language. He 
was, however, gracious when he chose to be, but 
he was angry when he was annoyed." 

Mr. Harrisse, who has collected these particu- 
lars from the different writers, says that this 
physical type may be frequently met now in the 



THE FLORENTINE PORTRAIT. 287 

city and neighborhood of Genoa. He adds, " as 
for the portraits, whether painted, engraved, or in 
sculpture, which appear in collections, in private 
places, or as prints, there is not one which is 
authentic. They are all purely imaginary." 

For the purpose of the illustration of this vol- 
ume, we have used that which is best known, and 
for many reasons most interesting. It is preserved 
in the city of Florence, but neither the name of 
the artist nor the date of the picture is known. 
It is generally spoken of as the " Florentine por- 
trait." The engraving follows an excellent copy, 
made by the order of Thomas Jefferson, and now 
in the possession of the Massachusetts Historical 
Society. We are indebted to the government of 
this society for permission to use it.'^ 

A picture ascribed to Titian, and engraved and 
circulated by the geographer, Jomard, resembles 
closely the portraits of Philip III. The costume 
is one which Columbus never wore. 

In his youth Columbus was affiliated with a 

*The whole subject of the portraits of Columbus is carefully 
discussed in a learned paper presented to the Wisconsin Historical 
Society by Dr. James Davie Butler, and published in the Collections 
of that Society, Vol. IX, pp. 79-96 



288 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

religious brotherhood, that of Saint Catherine, in 
Genoa. In after times, on many occasions when it 
would have been supposed that he would be richly 
clothed, he appeared in a grave dress which re- 
called the recollections of the frock of the religious 
order of Saint Francis. According to Diego Co- 
lumbus, he died, "dressed in the frock of this 
order, to which he had always been attached." 



The reader who has carefully followed the for- 
tunes of the o^reat discoverer understands from the 
history the character of the man. He would not 
have succeeded in his long suit at the court of 
Ferdinand and Isabella, had he not been a person 
of single purpose and iron will. 

From the moment when he was in command of 
the first expedition, that expedition went prosper- 
ously to its great success, in precisely the way 
which he had foreseen and determined. True, he 
did not discover Asia, as he had hoped, but this 
was because America was in the way. He showed 
in that voyage all the attributes of a great dis- 
coverer ; he deserved the honors which were paid 
to him on his return. 



HIS ABILITY AND AMBITION. 289 

As has been said, however, this does not mean 
that he was a great organizer of cities, or that he 
was the right person to put in charge of a newly 
founded colony. It has happened more than once 
in the history of nations that a great general, who 
can conquer armies and can obtain peace, has not 
succeeded in establishing a colony or in governing 
a city. 

On the other hand, it is fair to say that Co- 
lumbus never had a chance to show what he 
would have been in the direction of his colonies 
had they been really left in his charge. This is 
true, that his heart was always on discovery ; all 
the time that he spent in the wretched detail of 
the arrangement of a new-built town was time 
which really seemed to him wasted. 

The great problem was always before him, how 
he should connect his discoveries with the knowl- 
edge which Europe had before of the coast of 
Asia. Always it seemed to him that the domin- 
ions of the Great Khan were wathin his reach. 
Always he was eager for that happy moment 
when he should find himself in personal commun- 
ication with that great monarch, who had been 

19 



290 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

SO long the monarch of the East — who, as he 
thought, would prove to be the monarch of the 
West. 

Columbus died with the idea that he had come 
close to Asia. Even a generation after his death, 
the companions of Cortes gave to the peninsula 
of California that name because it was the name 
given in romance to the farthest island of the 
eastern Indies. 

Columbus met with many reverses, and died, 
one might almost say, a broken-hearted man. But 
history has been just to him, and has placed him 
in the foremost rank of the men who have set the 
world forward. And, outside of the technical 
study of history, those who like to trace the laws 
on which human progress advances have been 
proud and glad to see that here is a noble example 
of the triumph of faith. 

The life of Columbus is an illustration con- 
stantly brought forward of the success which God 
gives to those who, having conceived of a great 
idea, bravely determine to carry it through. 

His singleness of purpose, his unselfishness, 
his determination to succeed, have been cited for 



ILLUSTRATIONS OF SUCCESS. 291 

four centuries, and will be cited for centuries 
more, among the noblest illustrations which history 
has given, of success wrought out by the courage 
of one man. 



292 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 




APPENDIX A. 

[The following passages, from Admiral Fox's report, 
give his reasons for believing that Samana, or Atwood's 
Key, is the island where Columbus first touched land. 
The interest which attaches to this subject at the moment 
of the centennial, when many voyages will be made by 
persons following Columbus, induces me to copy Adtniral 
Fox's reasonings in detail. I believe his conclusion to be 
correct.] 

This method of applying Columbus's words in 
detail to refute each of the alleged tracks, and 
the study that I gave to the subject in the winter 
of 1878-79 in the Bahamas, which has been famil- 
iar cruising ground to me, has resulted in the 
selection of Samana or Atwood's Key for the first 
landing place. 

It is a little island 8.8 miles east and west ; 1.6 
extreme breadth, and averaging 1.2 north and 
south. It has 8.6 square miles. The east end is 
in latitude 23° 5' N.; longitude 73° ^il' west of 
Greenwich. The reef on which it lies is 15 by 2^ 
miles. 

On the southeast this reef stretches half a mile 
from the land, on the east four miles, on the west 
two, along the north shore one-quarter to one-half 

293 



294 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

mile, and on the southwest scarcely one-quarter. 
Turk is smaller than Samana, and Cat very much 
larger. 

The selection of two so unlike in size show that 
dimension has not been considered essential in 
choosing an island for the first landfall.* 

When Columbus discovered Guanahani, the 
journal called it a "little island." After landing 
he speaks of it as "bien grande," "very large," 
which some translate, tolerably, or pretty large. 
November 20, 1492 (Navarette, first edition, p. 
61), the journal refers to Isabella, a larger island 
than Guanahani, as "little island," and the fifth of 
January following (p. 125) San Salvador is again 
called "little island." 

The Bahamas have an area of about 37,000 



*I am indebted to T. J. McLain, Esq., United States consul at 
Nassau, for the following information given to him by the captains of 
this port, who visit Samana or Atwood's Key. The sub-sketch on this 
chart is substantially correct : Good water is only obtained by sink- 
ing Vv'ells. The two keys to the east are covered with guano ; white 
boobies hold the larger one, and black boobies the other ; neither 
intermingles. 

The island is now uninhabited, but arrow heads and stone hatchets 
are sometimes found ; and in places there are piles of stones supposed 
to have been made by the aborigines. Most of the growth is scrubby, 
with a few scattered trees. 

The Nassau vessels enter an opening through the reef on the south 
side of the island and find a very comfortable little harbor with from 
two to two and a half fathoms of water. From here they send their 
boats on shore to "strip" guano, and cut satin, dye woods and bark. 



APPENDIX. 295 

square miles, six per cent of which may be land, 
enumerated as 36 islands, 687 keys, and 2,414 
rocks. The submarine bank upon which these 
rest underlies Florida also. But this peninsula is 
wave-formed upon living corals, whose growth 
and gradual stretch toward the south has been 
made known by Agassiz. 

I had an unsuccessful search for a similar story 
of the Bahamas, to learn whether there were any 
probable changes within so recent a period as 
four hundred years. 

The common mind can see that all the rock 
there is coral, none of which is in position. The 
surface, the caves, the chinks, and the numerous 
pot-holes are compact limestone, often quite 
crystalline, while beneath it is oolitic, either friable 
or hard enough to be used for buildings. The hills 
are sand-blown, not upheaved. On a majority of 
the maps of the sixteenth century there were 
islands on Mouchoir, and on Silver Banks, where 
now are rocks "awash;" and the Dutch and the 
Severn Shoals, which lay to the east, have disap- 
peared. 

It is difficult to resist the impression that the 
shoal banks, and the reefs of the Bahamas, were 
formerly covered with land ; and that for a geological 
age waste has been going on, and, perhaps, 



296 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

subsidence. The coral polyp seems to be doing 
only desultory work, and that mostly on the north- 
east or Atlantic side of the islands ; everywhere 
else it has abandoned the field to the erosive action 
of the waves. 

Columbus said that Guanahani had abundance 
of water and a very large lagoon in the middle of 
it. He used the word laguna — lagoon, not lago — 
lake. His arrival in the Bahamas was at the 
height of the rainy season. Govenor Rawson's 
Report on the Bahamas, 1 864, page 92, Appendix 4, 
gives the annual rainfall at Nassau for ten years, 
1855—64, as sixty-four inches. From May i, to 
November i is the wet season, during which 44.7 
inches fall; the other six months 19.3 only. The 
most is in October, 8.5 inches. 

Andros, the largest island, 1,600 square miles, 
is the only one that has a stream of water. The 
subdivision of the land into so many islands and 
keys, the absence of mountains, the showery char- 
acteristic of the rainfall, the porosity of the rock, 
and the great heat reflected from the white coral, 
are the chief causes for the want of runninor 
water. During the rainy season the "abundance 
of water" collects in the low places, making ponds 
and lagoons, that afterward are soaked up by the 
rock and evaporated by the sun. 



APPENDIX. 297 

Turk and Watling have lagoons of a more per- 
manent condition, because they are maintained 
from the ocean by permeation. The lagoon 
which Columbus found at Guanahani had cer- 
tainly undrinkable water, or he would have gotten 
some for his vessels, instead of putting it off until 
he reached the third island. 

There is nothing in the journal to indicate 
that the lagoon at Guanahani was au^ht but the 
flooding of the low grounds by excessive rains ; and 
even if it was one communicatino- with the ocean, 
its absence now may be referred to the effect 
of those agencies which are working incessantly 
to reshape the soft structure of the Bahamas. 

Samana has a range of hills on the southwest 
side about one hundred feet high, and on the 
northeast another, lower. Between them, and 
also along the north shore, the land is low, and 
during the season of rains there is a row of ponds 
parallel to the shore. On the south side a con- 
spicuous white bluff looks to the southward and 
eastward. 

The two keys, lying respectively half a mile 
and three miles east of the island, and pos- 
sibly the outer breaker, which is four miles, all 
might have been connected with each other, and 
with the island, four hundred years ago. In that 



298 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

event the most convenient place for Columbus to 
anchor in the strong northeast trade-wind, was 
where I have put an anchor on the sub-sketch of 
Samana. 

[In a subsequent passage Admiral Fox says : — ] 

There is a common belief that the first landing 
place is settled by one or another of the authors 
cited here. Nevertheless, I trust to have shown, 
paragraph by paragraph, wherein their several 
tracks are contrary to the journal, inconsistent with 
the true cartography of the neighborhood, and to 
the discredit, measurably, both of Columbus and 
of Las Casas. The obscurity and the carelessness 
which appear in part of the diary through the 
Bahamas offer no obstacle to this demonstration, 
provided that they do not extend to the "log," or 
nautical part. 

Columbus went to sea when he was fourteen 
years of age, and served there almost continuously 
for twenty-three years. The strain of a sea-far- 
ing life, from so tender an age, is not conducive 
to literary exactness. Still, for the ver}^ reason 
of this sea experience, the "log" should be cor- 
rect. 

This is composed of the courses steered, distances 
sailed over, bearings of islands from one another, 
trend of shores, etc. The recording of these is 



APPENDIX. 299 

the daily business of seamen, and here the entries 
were by Columbus himself, chiefly to enable him, 
on his return to Spain, to construct that nautical 
map, which is promised in the prologue of the first 
voyage. 

In crossing the Atlantic the Admiral under- 
stated to the crew each day's run, so that they 
should not know how far they had gone into an 
unknown ocean. Las Casas was aware of this 
counterfeit "log," but his abridgment is from that 
one which Columbus kept for his own use. 

If the complicated courses and distances in this 
were originally wrong, or if the copy of them is 
false, it is obvious that they cannot be "plotted" 
upon a correct chart. Conversely, if they are 
made to conform to a succession of islands 
among which he is known to have sailed, it is evi- 
dent that this is a genuine transcript of the au- 
thentic " log " of Columbus, and, reciprocally, 
that we » have the true track, the beeinnine 
of which is the eventful landfall of October 12, 
1492. 

The student or critical reader, and the seaman, 
will have to determine whether the writer has 
established this conformity. The public, probably, 
desires to have the question setded, but it will 
hardly take any interest in a discussion that has 



300 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

no practical bearing, and which, for its elucidation, 
leans so much upon the jargon of the sea. 

It is not flattering to the English or Spanish 
speaking peoples that the four hundredth anniver- 
sary of this great event draws nigh, and is likely 
to catch us still floundering, touching the first 

landing place. 

SUMMARY. 

First. There is no objection to Samana in 
respect to size, position or shape. That it is a 
little island, lying east and west, is in its favor. 
The erosion at the east end, by which islets have 
been formed, recalls the assertion of Columbus 
that there it could be cut off in two days and 
made into an island. 

The Nassau vessels still find a snug anchorage 
here during the northeast trades. These blew 
half a gale of wind at the time of the landfall ; 
yet Navarette, Varnhagen, and Captain Becher 
anchored the squadron on the windward sides of 
the coral reefs of their respective islands, a "lee 
shore." 

The absence of permanent lagoons at Samana 
I have tried to explain. 

Second. The course from Samana to Crooked 
is to the southwest, which is the direction that 
the Admiral said he should steer " tomorrow 



APPENDIX. 301 

The distance given by him corresponds 
with the chart. 

Third. The second island, Santa Maria, is de- 
scribed as having two sides which made a right 
angle, and the length of each is given. This 
points directly to Crooked and Acklin. Both 
form one island, so fitted to the words of the jour- 
nal as cannot be done with any other land of the 
Bahamas. 

Fourth. The course and distance from Crooked 
to Lonof Island is that which the Admiral ofives 
from Santa Maria to Fernandina. 

Fifth. Long Island, the third, is accurately 
described. The trend of the shores, " north- 
northwest and south-southeast ;" the "marvelous 
port" and the " coast which runs east [and] west," 
can nowhere be found except at the southeast 
part of Long Island. 

Sixth, The journal is obscure in regard to the 
fourth island. The best way to find it is to "plot" 
the courses forward from the third island and the 
courses and distances backward from the fifth. 
These lead to Fortune for the fourth. 

Seventh. The Ragged Islands are the fifth. 
These he named las islas de Areata — Sand Islands. 

They lie west-southwest from the fourth, and 
this is the course the Admiral adhered to. He 



302 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

did not "log" all the run made between these 
islands ; in consequence the " log " falls short of 
the true distance, as it ought to. These •' seven 
or eight islands, all extending from north to 
south," and having shoal water "six leagues to 
the south" of them, are seen on the chart at a 
glance. 

Eighth. The course and distance from these 
to Port Padre, in Cuba, is reasonable. The 
westerly current, the depth of water at the en- 
trance of Padre, and the general description, are 
free of difficulties. The true distance is oreater 
than the "logged," because Columbus again 
omits part of his run. It would be awkward if the 
true distances from the fourth to the fifth islands, 
and from the latter to Padre, had fallen short of 
the "log," since it would make the unexplain- 
able situation which occurs in Irving's course 
and distance from Mucaras Reef to Boca de 
Caravela. 

From end to end of the Samana track there are 
but three discrepancies. At the third island, two 
leagues ought to be two miles. At the fourth 
island twelve leagues ought to be twelve miles. 
The bearing between the third and fourth islands 
is not quite as the chart has it, nor does it agree 
with the courses he steered. These three are 



APPENDIX. 303 

fairly explained, and I think that no others can be 
mustered to disturb the concord between this 
track and the journal. 



Rev. Mr. Cronan, in his recent voyage, dis- 
covered a cave at Watling's island, where were 
many skeletons of the natives. It is thought that 
a study of the bones in these skeletons will give 
some new ethnological information as to the race 
which Columbus found, which is now, thanks to 
Spanish cruelty, entirely extinct. 



APPENDIX B. 

The letter to the Lady Juana, which gives 
Ciolumbus's own statement of the indignities put 
upon him in San Domirgo, is written in his most 
crabbed Spanish. He never wrote the Spanish 
language accurately, and the letter, as printed 
irom his own manuscript, is even curious in its 
infelicities. It is so striking an illustration of the 
character of the man that we print here an 
abstract of it, with some passages translated 
directly from his own language. 

Columbus writes, towards the end of the year 
1 500, to the former nurse of Don Juan, an account 
of the treatment he has received. "If my complaint 
of the world is new, its method of abuse is very 
old," he says. " God has made me a messenger of 
the new heaven and the new earth which is spoken 
of in the Apocalypse by the mouth of St. John, after 
having been spoken of by Isaiah, and he showed 
me the place where it was." Everybody was in- 
credulous, but the queen alone gave the spirit of 
intelligence and zeal to the undertaking. Then 
the people talked of obstacles and expense. Co- 
lumbus says "seven years passed in talk, and nine 



APPENDIX. 305 

in executing some noted acts which are worthy of 
remembrance," but he returned reviled by alh 

"If I had stolen the Indies and had oriven them 
to the Moors I could not have had greater enmity 
shown to me in Spain." Columbus would have 
liked then to give up the business if he could have 
come before the queen. However he persisted, 
and he says he " undertook a new voyage to the 
new heaven and the new earth which before had 
been hidden, and if it is not appreciated in Spain 
as much as the other countries of India it is not 
surprising, because it is all owing to my industry." 
He "had believed that the voyage to Paria would 
reconcile all because of the pearls and gold in the 
islands of Espanola." He says, "I caused those 
of our people whom I had left there to come 
together and fish for pearls, and arranged that I 
should return and take from them what had been 
collected, as I understood, in measure a fmiega 
(about a bushel). If I have not written this to 
their Highnesses it is because I wished also to 
have as much of gold. But that fled before me, 
as all other things ; I would not have lost them 
and with them my honor, if I could have busied 
myself with my own affairs. 

"When I went to San Domingo I found almost 
half of the colony uprising, and they made war 

20 



306 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

upon me as a Moor, and the Indians on the other 
side were no less cruel. 

" Hojida came and he tried to make order, and 
he said that their Highnesses had sent him with 
promises of gifts and grants and money. He 
made up a large company, for in all Espanola 
there were few men who were not vagabonds, and 
no one lived there who had wife or children." 
Hojida retired with threats. 

"Then Vincente Ganez came with four ships. 
There were outbreaks and suspicions but no 
damage." He reported that six other ships under 
a brother of the Alcalde would arrive, and also the 
death of the queen, but these were rumors without 
foundation. 

"Adrian (Mogica) attempted to go away as 
before, but our Lord did not permit him to carry 
out his bad plan.'' Here Columbus regrets that 
he was obliged to use force or ill-treat Adrian, but 
says he would have done the same had his brother 
wished to kill him or wrest from him the Qrovern- 
ment which the king and queen had given him to 
guard. 

"For six months I was ready to leave to take 
to their Hiorhnesses the o-ood news of the o-old and 
to stop governing a dissolute people who feared 
neither king nor queen, full of meanness and 



APPENDIX. 307 

malice. I would have been able to pay all the 
people with six hundred thousand maravedis and 
for that there were more than four millions of 
tithes without counting the third part of the gold." 

Columbus says that he begged before his de- 
parture that they would send some one at his ex- 
pense to take command, and yet again a subject 
with letters, for he says bitterly that he has such 
a singular reputation that if he "were building 
churches and hospitals they would say they were 
cells for stolen oroods." 

Then Bobadilla came to Santo Domingo while 
Columbus was at LaVega and the Adelantado at 
Jaragua. "The second day of his arrival he de- 
clared himself governor, created magistrates, made 
offices, published grants for gold and tithes, and 
everything else for a term of twenty years," He 
said he had come to pay the people, and declared 
he would send Columbus home in irons. Colum- 
bus was away. Letters with favors were sent to 
others, but none to him. Columbus resorted to 
methods to gain time so that their Highnesses 
could understand the state of things. But he was 
constantly maligned and persecuted by those who 
were jealous of him. He says: 

" I think that you will remember that when the 
tempest threw me into the port of Lisbon, after 



308 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

having lost my sails, I was accused of having the 
intention to give India to that country. After- 
wards their Highnesses knew to the contrary. 
Although I know but little, I cannot conceive that 
any one would suppose me so stupid as not to 
know that though India might belong to me, yet I 
could not keep it without the help of a prince." 

Columbus complains that he has been judged 
as a governor who has been sent to a peace- 
ful, well-regulated province. He says, " I ought 
to be judged as a captain sent from Spain to the 
Indies to conquer a warlike people, whose custom 
and religion are all opposed to ours, where the 
people live in the mountains without regular 
houses for themselves, and where, by the will of 
God, I have placed under the rule of the king and 
queen another world, and by which Spain, which 
calls itself poor, is today the richest empire. I 
ought to be judged as a captain who for many 
years bears arms incessantly. 

" I know well that the errors that I have com- 
mitted have not been with bad intentions, and I 
think that their Highnesses will believe what I say; 
but I know and see that they use pity for those 
who work aijainst them." 

"If, nevertheless, their Highnesses order that 
another shall judge me, which I hope will not be. 



APPENDIX. 309 

and this ought to be on an examination made in 
India, I humbly beg of them to send there two 
conscientious and respectable people, at my 
expense, which may know easily that one finds 
five marcs of gold in four hours. However that 
may be, it is very necessary that they should go 
there." 

APPENDIX C. 

It would have been so natural to give the name 
of Columbus to the new world which he gave to 
Castile and Leon, that much wonder has been ex- 
pressed that America was not called Columbia, 
and many efforts have been made to give to the 
continent this name. The District of Columbia 
was so named at a time when American writers of 
poetry were determined that "Columbia" should 
be the name of the continent. The ship Columbia, 
from which the great river of the West takes that 
name, had received this name under the same cir- 
cumstances about the same time. The city of 
Columbia, which is the capital of South Carolina, 
was named with the same wish to do justice to the 
great navigator. 

Side by side with the discussion as to the name, 
and sometimes making a part of it, is the question 



310 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

whether Columbus himself was really the first dis- 
coverer of the mainland. The reader has seen 
that he first saw the mainland of South America 
in the beginning of August, 1498. It was on 
the fifth, sixth or seventh day, according to Mr. 
Harrisse's accurate study of the letters. Was 
this the first disco v^ery by a European of the main- 
land? 

It is known that Ojeda, with whom the reader 
is familiar, also saw this coast. With him, as pas- 
senger on his vessel, was Alberico Vespucci, and 
at one time it was supposed that Vespucci had 
made some claim to be the discoverer of the con- 
tinent, on account of this voyage. But in truth 
Ojeda himself says that before he sailed he had 
seen the map of the Gulf of Paria which Columbus 
had sent home to the sovereigns after he made 
that discovery. It also seems to be proved that 
Alberico Vespucci, as he was then called, never 
made for himself any claim to the great discovery. 

Another question, of a certain interest to people 
proud of English maritime science, is the question 
whether the Cabots did not see the mainland be- 
fore Columbus. It is admitted on all hands that 
they did not make their first voyage till they knew 
of Columbus's first discoveries ; but it is supposed 
that in the first or second voyage of the Cabots, 



APPENDIX. 311 

they saw the mainland of North America. The 
dates of the Cabots' voyages are unfortunately 
badly entangled. One of them is as early as 1494, 
but this is generally rejected. It is more probable 
that the king's letters patent, authorizing John 
Cabot and his three sons to go, "with five vessels, 
under the English flag, for the discovery of islands 
and countries yet unknown," was dated the fifth 
of March, 1496. Whether, however, they sailed 
in that year or in the next year is a question. 
The first record of a discovery is in the account- 
book of the privy purse of Henry VII, in the 
words, "August loth, 1497. To him who discov- 
ered the new island, ten pounds." This is clearly 
not a claim on which the discovery of the mainland 
can be based. 

A manuscript known as the Cotton Manuscript 
says that John Cabot had sailed, but had not re- 
turned, at the moment when the manuscript was 
written. This period was "the thirteenth year of 
Henry VII." The thirteenth year of Henry began 
on the twenty-second of August, 1497, and ended 
in 1498. On the third of February, 1498, Henry 
VII granted permission to Cabot to take six 
English ships "to the lands and islands recently 
found by the said Cabot, in the name of the king 
and by his orders." Stricdy speaking, this would 



312 THE LIFE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS. 

mean that the mainland had then been discov- 
ered ; but it is impossible to establish the claim 
of England on these terms. 

What is, however, more to the point, is a letter 
from Pasqualigo, a Venetian merchant, who says, 
writing to Venice, on the twenty-third of August, 
1497, that Cabot had discovered the mainland at 
seven hundred leagues to the west, and had sailed 
alono- it for a coast of three hundred leasfues. He 
says the voyage was three months in length. It 
was made, then, between May and August, 1497. 
The evidence of this letter seems to show that 
the mainland of North America was really first 
discovered by Cabot. The discussion, however, 
does not in the least detract from the merit due to 
Columbus for the great discovery. Whether he 
saw an island or whether he saw the mainland, 
was a mere matter of what has been called land- 
fall by the seamen. It is admitted on all hands 
that he was the leader in all these enterprises, and 
that it was on his success in the first voyage that 
all such enterprises followed. 



INDEX. 



PAGE 
A 

Acklin Island 301 

Adelantado (see Columbus, Bar- 
tholomew). 
Alexander II ; his decree about dis- 
coveries 134 

Almadias (canoes) 68 

Almiqui 88 

Aloes..... g8 

Amber, discovery of 190 

Andros Island 296 

Antilia, supposed Island of 24 

Arana, Diego da 112 

Arburarno, Bay of 248 

Arrows, Bay of 114 

Atwood's Key 293 

Azores, possession of 26 

Azul, Bay of 106 

B 

Babequc, Island of gg, 104, 113 

Bahamas, structure of 295 

Rainfall of 297 

Bahama, Grand Bank of 87 

Barcelona 126 

Beatification of Columbus pro- 
posed 285 

Becher, Capt 300 

Hello, Puerto, anchored at harbor 

of 249 

Blanca, a coin 70 

Bobadilla, made governor 219 

Arrives in San Domingo 219 

Hostile measures 220, 307 

Recalled 230 

Policy of 231 

Death of 245 

Bohio 85, gg, 100 

Boril, Father 187 

Bohis 156 

Bonacca 246 

Bosio, or Bohio 85 



Bourbon, Madama de 186 

Brazil, Portugal's claim to 135 

Brasil, meaning of the name 246 

Port 245 

Bueno, Puerto 254 

Burenquen 155 

Burgos 193 



Cabot, John 186, 229 

Voyage of 311 

Dates of his voyage 312 

Reaches North America 312 

Cabo, Fermoso 83 

Cabo de Palmas 88 

Cabo, Tormentoso 27 

Cape of Good Hope 27 

Cadiz 137, 144, 243 

Caffa, loss of 32 

California, the name 290 

Canaboa (see Canoaboa). 

Canary Islands 51, 243 

Caunebo (see Canoaboa). 

Canoaboa 162,165, 172, 189 

Capo del Pico 100 

Carni go 

Caravel 26 

Cariay 247 

Caribs 148 

Customs of 151 

Fight with 153 

Carvajal, Alonzo Sanchez de, agent 

of Columbus 232, 277 

Castaneda, governor of the Azores 123 

Castellano, a coin 82 

Cat Island 294 

Centis, a coin 70 

Cerabaro (or Zerabora) 247 

Chanca, Doctor, journal of 144 

Chico, Island of 98 

Cibao 176 

Cigars, first use of 93 



INDEX. 



315 



PAGE 

Cipango 71, 85, 86, 92, 177 

Civad, Island of 108 

Cobraba, province of 248 

Colba, a name of Cuba 85 

Colomb, the name 14 

Colon, the name 14 

Colon, Diego (an Indian) 158 

Colon el Mozo 16 

Colon, Francisco 16 

Colon, Don Cristobal 282 

Colonies — 

At La Navidad no 

At Isabella 173 

Under Ovando 233 

On the mainland, unsuccessful 253 

Columbus, Bartholomew 14 

His travels 185 

Lieutenant-Governor 186 

DifiBculties of his position 212 

Displaced by Bobadilla ...219, 222 
Waits upon Philip and Juana . 280 

Columbus, the name 14 

Columbus, Christopher, birthplace 

of ... 13 

Birth 15 

Travels 16 

Marriage 17 

A draughtsman 18 

His " great design " 19 

His fitness for the enterprise.. 25 

Leaves Lisbon . 30 

Urges his plan upon the gov- 
ernment 32 

Meets the sovereigns 33 

Explains his plan 35 

In the army 37 

His hopes disappointed 37 

Leaves Seville 38 

At Rabida 39 

At Grenada 40 

The enterprise accepted 43 

Royal order 44 

Sets sail on the first voyage ... 50 

Arrives at Guanahani 62 

Takes possession of the land .. 65 
Voyage among the islands.. 66, 87 

Reaches Cuba 88 

At Hayti 101 



PAGE 

Columbus, Christopher, Meets the 

king in Hispaniola 103, 105 

Sails for Spain 113 

At the Azores 123 

Arrives at Lisbon 124 

Arrives at Palos 124 

Journey to court 127 

Reception by the sovereigns. .. 128 
Prepares for the second voyage 138 

Quarrels with Fonseca 138 

Sails on the second voyage .. .. 144 

At Dominica 145 

Second arrival at Hispaniola . 156 

Sends embassy to Spain 173 

Difficulties with the colony 174 

Explores Hayti 175 

Explores Cuba 177 

Visits Jamaica 178 

Sick at Isabella 185 

Sends slaves to Europe 187 

Ill-health of 188 

Returns from second voyage .. igo 
Disaffection towards him in 

Spain 191 

Visit to court 193 

His address to the sovereign.. 199 

A new contract 195 

His third voyage 197 

Arrives at Trinidad 202 

Entertained at Paria 203 

His views on the shape of the 

earth 206 

Discovers the mainland 209 

Letter to the sovereigns 209 

Controlled by rebels 216 

Wi;ites again to Spain 216 

His enemies in Spain 218 

Supplanted by Bobadilla 220 

Sent home in chains 222 

Letter to Dona Juana 305 

Received with honor 225 

His new plans 229 

" Book of Prophecies " 236 

"The End of Man" 238 

His instructions for the fourth 

voyage 241 

Sails 243 

Stops at San Domingo 244 



316 



INDEX. 



PAGE 

Columbus, Christopher, reaches 

the mainland 246 

Collects gold 253 

In exile at Puerto Bueno 254 

Rebellion among his men .257, 307 

Lack of provisions 260 

Way of dealing with the natives 261 

Writes to Ovando 265 

Conquers the rebels 269 

Returns to Isabella 270 

Returns to Spain 271 

His ill-health 272 

At Seville 274 

Letters to his son 275 

His financial condition 237, 275 

Letters to Ferdinand 277 

Goes to court 278 

Presses his claims 278 

Arbitration fails 279 

Writes to Juano 280 

Executes his will 281 

Death of 282 

Disposal of his body 283 

Appearance of 286 

Portraits of 287 

Character of 198, 288 

Honors of the church to 285 

Columbia, the name 309 

Columbus, Dominico 14 

Columbus, Diego 30 

Columbus, Diego (brother of Chris- 
topher) i4i 176, 178,219, 220, 222 

Columbus, Diego (son of Christo- 
pher) 30,38,242, 279, 281,288 

Columbus, Fernando 242, 281 

Conception, Tower of the 189 

Cordova 34 

Cotton 97 

Cotton Manuscript, quoted 311 

Cronan, Rev. Mr., voyage of 303 

Crooked Island 301 

Cuba, discovery of 85, 86 

Columbus lands on 88 

Voyage along the coast of 92 

Natives of 94 

Revenue hoped for from 234 

Cuyago 246 

Cyprus, battle near 16 



PAGE 

D 

Dante, quoted 207 

Descovedo, Rodrigo 64 

Deza, Diego de 278 

Diaz, Bartholomew, voyage of.. 27, 185 

Diaz, Bornal 175 

Didacus 188 

Dominica Island 145, 244 

E 

Earth, shape of 206 

Egg, story of 130 

Escobar 264 

Enriquez, Beatriz 281 

Evangelista Island 184 

F 

Ferdinand, first interview with Co- 
lumbus 34 

Doubtful of the enterprise 43 

Sustains Columbus against 

Fonseca 138 

Gives license to Ojeda 217 

His coldness to Columbus 273 

Orders Columbus' effects sold 276 

Proposes an arbitration 278 

Appoints bishops for the colo- 
nies 280 

Ferdinand and Isabella 33 

War with the Moors 36 

Reject plans of Columbus 38 

Victory over the Moors 40 

Contract with Columbus 43 

Reception of Columbus at court 

128, 193, 227 
Sent out Bartholomew Colum- 
bus i85 

Appoint Bobadilla governor. . . 219 
Recall Bobadilla and appoint 

Ovando 230 

Instructions to Columbus for 

fourth voyage 242 

Fernandos of Palos 39 

Fernandina 77, 301 

Trees of 80 

Fishes of 80 

Fiesco, Bartholomew de 243 

Florentine portrait of Columbus.. 287 
Fontanarossa, Suzanna 14 



INDEX. 



317 



PAGE 

Fonseca, Juan Rodriguez de 136 

Fnmity to Columbus 136, 138 

Receives slaves 187 

Writes to Columbus 215 

Fortune Island 301 

Fox, Admiral, report of 293 

Friars, supposed discovery of 180 

Friday, day of luck 50, 124 



Galleota, Cape 200 

Gallega (ship) 46, 47 

Gallican (ship) 243 

Gama (^Vasco) da, successful enter- 
prise of 228 

Genoa 13, 31 

Injury to trade of 32 

Gold, search for gi, gg 

At Guanahani 6g 

At Caico del Norte 74 

At Cuba 92 

At Hispaniola loi, 105, 175, igo 

Brought to Isabella 130 

At La Navidad 166, 169 

Washing of 171 

On the mainland 252 

Green Cross, standard of the 64 

Grenada, campaign against 37 

Conquest of 40 

Guarionexius 188 

Guanahani, discovered. . . 64 

Natives of 65 

Description of 70, 2g4, 2g6, 297 

Guacanagari 105,109, 159, 166 

Guadeloupe 147, 153 

Guanaja 246 

Gutierres, Pedro 112 

H 

Hamacas 82 

Hammocks 82, 88 

Hanno 26 

Harrisse, Henry, quoted. . .276, 283, 286 

Hayti, discovery of 100 

Description of 156, 174 

King of (see Guacanagari). 

Henry VII of England 36, 185, 311 

Hermoso, El, harbor of 24.5 

Hispaniola loi 



PAGE 

Hispaniola, colony founded at 110 

Visited on second voyage 156 

Search for gold at 169 

(See also San Domingo.) 
Holy Sepulchre, plans for the re- 
demption of 234 

Hosmer, Miss, statue by 42 

Huelva 49 

Humboldt, quoted 181 

I 

Iceland, Columbus visits 17 

Inagua, Chica -n 

Inagua Grande, description of S3 

India, products of 28 

Indians (see Natives) 187 

Isabella, Queen, recalls Columbus 40 

Accepts the enterprise 42 

Contract with Columbus 43 

Protests against slave trade.. . 188 

Kindness to Columbus 226, 274 

Death of 273 

Isabella, City of, founded 173 

J 

Jachen 175 

Jamaica, description of 178 

Japan (see Cipango). 

John, King of Calabria 17 

John II of Portugal 29 

Negotiations with 36 

Rival of Spain 131 

Juan, Prince, death of ig6 

Juana, Dona, Columbus's letter to, 

225, 304 

Juana, Queen, arrives in Spain 280 

Junna 175 

K 
Khan, Grand 90, 102, 180, 289 



La Navidad 160 

Bad state of things at 162 

Massacre at 163, 168 

La Navidad, new colony estab- 
lished 170 

Land, reward for first seeing 63 

Las Casas, quoted, 67, 82, 85, 87, 93, 

104, 266, 278, 286, ISO 



318 



INDEX. 



PAGE 

Line of discoveries settled 134 

Lisbon i9i 29, 124 

Long Island 301 

Lucayos, or Bahamas 98 

Luxan 177 

M 

Madeira 200 

Magellan, return of 28 

Insults receive}! from Portugal 29 

Maize 203 

Mainland, discovery of, contested. 310 

" Man, the end of " 238 

Mandeville, story by 20 

Maravedi, value of 63 

Marchena, Juan Perez de 39, 40 

Marcheza igg 

Marco Polo 22 

Mares, Rio de , 97 

Margarita, Pedro 177 

Maria Galante, landed at 145 

Description of 147 

Marquez, Diego 149, 151 

Martha, City of, see Isabella. 

Martinino (island) 244 

Martinique (island) 244 

Martyr, Peter, quoted 152, 285 

Mastic 97 

Medina Cell, Duke of 32 

Medina Sidonia, Duke of 32 

Meldonado, Melchion 170 

Mendez, Diego 255, 256 

Raised to nobility 274 

Represents Columbus at court, 277 

Menroz, quoted 183 

Missal-book of Queen Isabella.... 130 

Moa, Bay of 100 

Mogica, Adrian 306 

Moluccas, spices from 28 

Monte Christi 159 

Moors, Spain at war with 36 

Moya (Marquesa), de 40, 42 

Musquito Coast 247 

N 

Naiba 175 

Natives, trade with 65 

Descriptions of, 66, 74, 78, 81, 88, 

103, 148, 204, 247 



Natives carried to Spain 127, 187 

Fights with 114, 151, 201 

Character of 182 

Cruelty of Spaniards to 231, 259 

Skeletons of, found at Watling 

Island 303 

Navarrete, quoted 283, 300 

Needle, variation of 54 

Nina (ship) 47, 113, 190 

Nipe, Puerto de 87 

O 

Ojeda, commands expedition of 

discovery 170 

Sent against Canoaboa 189 

His voyage to San Domingo 217, 228 
Conduct in the rebellion. . .218, 306 
Visited the mainland 310 

Orinoco, currents of ...210, 202 

Ovando, Don Nicholas, chosen to 

take charge of the colony 239 

Letter to 244 

Columbus's estimate of 277 

Oviedo, quoted 58, 62 

P 

Palos 49, 124 

Papal decree about discoveries. .. 134 
Parchment thrown into the sea. ... 122 

Paria 202 

Pasqualigo, quoted 312 

Pavia, University of 15 

Pearls, search for 99 

At Paria 202, 305 

Pearls, Gulf of 211 

Pena, Bunta de la 202 

Pesestrello, Bartholomew Muniz 

de 18, 22 

Philip, arrives from Flanders 280 

Phillippa, wife of Columbus 17 

Death of 30 

Philippine Islands, possession of 30, 135 

Pinta (ship) 47, 51, 99, 113, 116 

Pinzon Brothers, join Columbus.. 44 

Their determination 46 

Receive presents from Indians 161 
Pinzon, Martin Alonzo, first meet- 
ing with 39 

Joins Columbus 46 



INDEX. 



319 



PAGE 

Piiizon, Martin Alonzo, commands 

the Pinta 51. 81 

Lands atGuanahani 64 

Has interviews with natives. . . 90 

Goes to find Babeque gg, 113 

Voyages of 228 

Pinzon, Vicente Yaniz 48, 64 

Pitcairn's Island 207 

Pliny, quoted 97 

Polo, Marco, travels of 22 

Porras, Francesco de, commands 

the Santiago 243 

Leader of rebellion 257 

Abandons Columbus 258 

But returns 259 

Attempts to rob the stores 268 

His men defeated 26g 

In Spain 277 

Port-au-Prince 99 

Porto Rico 155 

Porto Santo, Island of 22 

Portraits of Columbus 287 

Portugal, treaties with 137 

Grant, former, to i3r 

Portuguese seas, battle in 19 

"Prophecies, Book of " 235 

Ptolemy, geography of 2i 

Puerto Santo 100 

Q 

Quibian, leader of natives 253 

Quintinilla, Alonso de 34 

Quisay, City of 24, 50, 85 

R 

Rabida, Convent of 38, 292 

Ragged Islands 301 

Robinson Crusoe's Island 210 

Rodriguez 39 

Roldan, heads rebellion 214 

Makes new demands 215 

Sent to Ojeda 217 

Death of 245 

Roundness of the earth, theory of. 20 

Royal standard 64 

S 

St. Angel, Luis de 42 

St. Catherine, brotherhood of 288 

St. Francis, Convent of 283 



PAGE 

St. John Baptist 155 

St. Lucia (island) 244 

St. Thomas, Fortress of 176 

Salamanca, Council of 35 

Saltes, Island of 50 

Samana Island 69, 293, 300 

Relief of 297 

Bay of 114 

Sanchez, Rodrigo 61, 65 

San Domingo, natives of 103 

Columbus returns to 212 

Hostilities in 212 

Rebellion in — Columbus's ac- 
count of rebellion 305 

Body of Columbus carried to. . 283 
Siege of (see also Hispaniola). 284 

San Juan Bautista 155 

San Lucar 271 

San Salvador 69 

Puerto de 87 

Santa Cruz 155 

Santa Fe 40 

Santa Gloria 255 

Santa Lucca 200 

Santa Maria (ship) 47 

Wreck of loS 

Santa Maria Island 301 

Santa Maria de la Concepcion 74 

Santa Ursula 155 

Santiago River 159 

Santiago (ship) 243 

Saomete 83 

Sargasso Sea 53, irj 

Segovia, Rodrigo de rr2 

Seneca quoted 23 

Servia, Archbishop of 199 

Seville 272 

Body of Columbus carried to. . 283 

Sicilla 243 

Sierra Leone, visited 26 

Slave trade, beginning of 26 

South America discovered 211 

Spain, large and important rev- 
enues received 239 

T 

Talavera, Fernando da 37, 41 

Tartary, Khan of 22 

Thule 17 



320 



INDEX. 



Tinto, River of 247 

Titian, portrait ascribed to 287 

Tobacco . 77 

Tonele 47 

Torre, Dona Juana de la, letter to. 225 

Torreros, Pedro de 243 

Toscanelli 20 

Letter to Columbus 23 

Trade winds, Columbus' observa- 
tions of 115 

Toriana, Rodrigo de 60, 62 

Trinidad 200, 201 

Tristram, Diego 243 

Turk's Island 294, 297 

Turtle Island 103 



V 

Vegetation, rapid growth of 

Veragua, river of 

Vespucius, Alberigo 

First expedition to America. .. 

Vespucci, travels of 

Employed by Columbus 

Claim to the discovery 

His change of name. .... .280, 

Villa Pedrode 

Viscaina (ship) 

Voyages — 

I. — Columbus account of 

Course of 

Distance 

Direction 

Land discovered 

At Cuba 

At Hispaniola 

Return to Spain 

End of 

2. — Preparation for. ...131, 138, 

Contrasted with first 

The company 

Length of 

At Maria Galante 

At Guadaloupe . 

Hispaniola 



174 
248 
18 
217 
228 
280 
312 
310 
118 
243 

50 
298 
52 
52 
61 
88 

lOI 

113 
124 
136 
140 
M3 
144 
147 
147 
156 



Voyage, 2 — Continued. 

La Navidad destroyed... .162-8 

Mutiny at Isabella 174 

Exploration of Hispaniola 175 

Exploration of Cuba 179 

Visit to Jamaica 178 

Return to Isabella 186 

End of 191 

3. — Plans for .. 195 

Unpopularity of 197 

Begun 197 

Reaches Trinidad 201 

Return to Hispaniola 212 

Return to Spain 223 

Results of 224 

4. — Columbus's object in 234 

Sets sail 243 

The voyage 244 

Storms 245 

Reaches the mainland 246 

The gold mines 251 

Trouble with natives 253 

The ships disabled 254 

Exile at Jamaica 255 

Mutiny 257 

The eclipse 261 

A message from Ovando... 264 

Battle with the rebels 268 

Relief 270 

Return to San Domingo 

and to Spain.. 271 

Storms at sea 271 

W 

Watling's Island 69, 297, 303 

Women's Island 119 

X 
Xamana 156. i57 

Z 

Zamaquia '57 

Zayto 9» 

Zerabora (see Cerabaro). 

Zuniga, Ortiz de 37 



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